SNP to spend £27,000 of your money to ‘assemble’ 120 citizens it can rely on – Brian Wilson

Of all the stunts to demonstrate that Scotland thirsts for another independence referendum, while speaking of little else, the “Citizens’ Assembly” must come near top of the daft list.
Joanna Cherry MP blew any credibility the Citizens Assembly had out the water (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)Joanna Cherry MP blew any credibility the Citizens Assembly had out the water (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)
Joanna Cherry MP blew any credibility the Citizens Assembly had out the water (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

Any credibility was blown out the water when its chief proponent, m’learned friend Joanna Cherry MP, proclaimed it “the perfect way” to advance the cause of independence – not quite how it was officially advertised.

In proclaiming it at Holyrood, Michael Russell observed that “this Parliament is rightly proud of the first 20 years of our reconvened existence”, but must move on to greater things since Brexit had created “a complete breakdown of trust between politicians and people”. All very neutral!

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Anyway, the bold Michael wanted “new ways to bring politicians and people together”. So who are the 120 doughty citizens to be? Clearly, identification is a crucial task which must be beyond reproach – otherwise how can their conclusion that we all want independence be trusted?

So it is encouraging to learn that the contract to identify them has been handed to one Mark Diffley who is also “research and polling adviser” to Angus Robertson, the SNP’s former deputy leader at Westminster.

There was a time when a wise civil servant in St Andrew’s House would have taken aside a Minister making such an award and said: “Are you sure about this, Minister?” They no longer exist. Now Mr Diffley will be paid £27,000 of public money to find 120 suitable citizens. That good old gravy train just never stops rolling.