Determination's Coull is still desperately attacking IF
Had the misfortune to go on Our Scotland website and came across this thread:
http://ourscotland.myfreeforum.org/sutra51431.php#51431
...where my former colleague in Independence First (now part of 'Determination') Dave Coull is trying (and failing) to tarnish another IF member (Kevin Williamson)'s reputation.
Contrary to Mr Coull's interpretation of events, it was his own nit picking and dubious approach to debate which led to IF closing down our member's forum. If he wants to blame anyone for it he can blame me and not Kev who wasn't at the meeting who decided it (and indeed objected to the decision afterwards).
Members at the meeting which decided to close the forum felt it would be better (and politer) if any grievances were addressed at meetings face to face rather than through an online forum which tended lend itself to pedants who wouldn't let any point go and would waste everyone's time.
This has proven to be the case. Of course this was not the real reason Dave Coull and others left to form Determination, the real reason was that their pal Neal Caple was bumped as Convenor in a democratic vote and replaced with our current convener, Eric Canning.
They've bumped their gums about Canning's membership of the Communist Party of scotland (which supports independence) yet have overlooked Canning's massive experience as a former Vice Chair of the Scottish Constitutional Convention. Sadly they could not accept democracy when it didn't go their way and even had the cheek to mis-use our database to send out their propaganda.
Independence First has organised two rallies for an independence referendum, we have also organised an online petition for a referendum and have received answers from the British Government (unsatisfying answers but answers nonetheless).
The departure of Coull and his friends has left us with less activists, however at least we don't have to put up with the childish behaviour of Mr Coull and can ignore most of his outbursts.
Independence First is now working with the Independence Convention to create a new and stronger petition demanding an independence referendum. We believe that after 300 years the Scottish people need to have a direct say on the self determination of their country.
The fight goes on and anyone who wants to join Independence First should come to the Wash bar in Edinburgh tonight at 6.30pm.
1 comment:
A fellow member of Determination, the non-aligned campaign for self-determination for Scotland, drew my attention to me being mentioned by name on Joe's blog. So I'm writing a reply.
"Determination's Coull is still desperately attacking IF"
I could understand a suggestion that a politician with a well-paid job would be "desperate" to hang on to their job, but I am baffled by the use of this word in relation to myself. Joe, as far as I'm concerned, the original Independence First effectively split when fifteen active members, including the folk who actually started IF in the first place, quit in protest at suppression of internal dissent on matters of principle, and, in particular, at the closing down of the Members Forum. From my point of view, the continuing IF is under authoritarian control. Of course I'm "still" pointing this out, in fact, for as long as the name of Independence First gets mentioned, I will "still" be pointing this out, even if that should turn out to be long after we have got our referendum, or even if that should turn out to be long after we have achieved independence for Scotland. The reason for doing so has nothing to do with "desperation". It is simply a desire for historical accuracy. As a trained historian, amongst other things, I like historical accuracy.
"my former colleague in Independence First (now part of Determination) Dave Coull is trying (and failing) to tarnish another IF member (Kevin Williamson)'s reputation"
I admit I was surprised to learn that Kev is now calling himself a libertarian socialist and an anarchist. The reason for my surprise is that I thought ALL the "libertarians" of any kind in IF would have PUBLICLY stated their disapproval of the authoritarian closing down of the members forum. Now, it turns out that Kev did indeed protest against this, but not "publicly", which is why I didn't know he had done so.
"Contrary to Mr Coull's interpretation of events, it was his own nit picking and dubious approach to debate which led to IF closing down our members forum"
The forum was closed won in order to suppressexpression of dissent amongst the members. This is really very easy to prove, if anybody is interested. I have kept several of the final posts to the forum before it was closed down and can provide these as proof of this version of events to any doubters. Issues of PRINCIPLE which were under discussion before the forum was closed down included (1) the authoritarian moves to centralise control through the convenor, for instance, by scrapping the practice of different people taking turns at chairing meetings, and (2) the wisdom, or otherwise, of having as convenor of a NON_PARTY_POLITICAL campaign, somebody who was ALSO the leader of a political party. Regardless of where people stand on these questions, there can be no question at all that they were issues of PRINCIPLE, and not mere "nit-picking".
"Of course, this was not the real reason Dave Coull and others left to form Determination, the real reason was that their pal Neil Caple was bumped as Convenor in a democratic vote and replaced with our current convenor, Eric Canning."
No, the REAL reason is the one that was given in our collective statement of resignation from IF: 'This is a collective statement of resignation from a group which includes those who originally created Independence First, among others. Reasons - IF was intended to be non-party-political. We feel that having a national office bearer of a political party as convenor of IF compromises that non-party-political nature. Making the convenor no longer "Honorary" and having the convenor chair ALL meetings goes against the egalitarian origins of IF. The last straw came when the April general meeting closed down the members forum and banned e-mail between members. This crude authoritarian attempt to stifle internal dissent makes it impossible for working groups to function'.
"They've bumped their gums about Canning's membership of the Communist Party of Scotland"
THAT IS NOT TRUE.
At no time has Eric's MEMBERSHIP of the CPS ever been an issue.
The issue was his LEADERSHIP of that party, NOT his membership. We took the view, as a matter of principle, that no leader, and no senior national official, of ANY political party, should be in a prominent position in a NON_PARTY_POLITICAL campaign, because, no matter how sincere they might be in seeking to act in a non-party-political way, the mere fact of them holding both positions would make their position, and that of the campaign, lose credibility. We took this view as a matter of principle. It had absolutely nothing to do with Eric personally. We would have taken exactly the same view with regard to any other party leader (Alex Salmond or Tommy Sheridan, for instance) or any other senior national official of any political party.
"They could not accept democracy when it didn't go their way"
That is a distortion of what happened. Some of us were quite prepared to accept Eric as convenor of IF, but thought there was a contradiction between this and him being the leader of a political party. We tried to get Eric to resolve this problem by voluntarily giving up one of his positions. If he had only agreed to continue as convenor of IF, but give up being the LEADER of the Communist Party, while still continuing as an active MEMBER of that party, then the crisis which led to our resignation could have been avoided.
"Independence First has organised two rallies for an independence referendum"
Yes, IF as it was before the split. Members of Determionation played an important role in both of these rallies. For instance, Neil and Sheila Caple paid for the pipe band for the first one. Also, at the first one, four people sought to sign up new members of IF. Of these four, I signed up more new members than the other three put together. At the second of these rallies, I was the ONLY person signing up new members for IF.
"We have also organised an online petition for a referendum"
Again, IF as it was before the split did that. Folk who are now members of Determination played a significant role. For instance, the petition was organised in the name of Neil Caple, and the person who contributed most to discussion of that petition on the Scottish Parliament website was myself.
"and have received answers from the British Government (unsatisfying answers but answers nonetheless)"
Letters which were drafted by folk who are now members of Determination, and signed on behalf of IF by Angus Coull, member of Determination.
"Independence First is now working with the Independence Convention to create a new and stronger petition demanding an independence referendum"
That exaggerates the role of IF, which is in actual fact only one of several groups involved.
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