An open letter to the unionist parties of Scotland

………………………………………………………

Please distribute the following text to these these email addresses, to maintain pressure on the pro UK parties of Scotland, to get involved with Alliance for Unity

Ruth.Davidson.MSP@parliament.scot; Richard.Leonard.MSP@parliament.scot; Willie.Rennie.MSP@parliament.scot; douglas.ross.mp@parliament.uk; scotland@labour.org.uk; hq@scotlibdems.org.uk

Hello

I write to call upon the pro UK parties of Scotland to put tribalism aside in the forthcoming Holyrood elections, and form an Alliance for Unity, in the national interest.

This would be an alliance with one aim and one policy- to remove the SNP from power, and to vote against any referendum proposals: after nearly 15 years of nationalist grudge and grievance, in which schools, health and transport have been neglected in the name of independence, Scotland needs to reset its politics.

The electoral mathematics are simple. The pro UK parties so often comprise a combined majority of the votes cast, but because they often stand against each other, this majority finds itself split 3 ways, and the nationalist vote does not.

Result? The nationalists win.

A pro UK vote split 3 ways will so often lose against a nationalist vote either unified or at most split between the SNP and their allies, the Greens.

This is not negativity, it is basic arithmetic. The recent Ellon and Aberdeenshire by election is but the most recent example of the SNP coming through the middle of a combined unionist majority to win, because we are divided.

The solution is simple.

In every Holyrood constituency the strongest pro UK party, based upon the last Scottish Parliament result, should be the ONLY pro UK candidate.

One unionist candidate will focus the mind of the unionist electorate to the stark reality and encourage a necessary measure of tactical voting.

At a list level? The recently established Alliance for Unity party offers the most sensible option-a single unionist ‘Alliance for Unity’ list, combining the best candidates of all the parties. Due to the way the Holyrood List system works, a single Alliance for Unity list of Pro UK candidates would benefit more than individual Conservative, Labour or Lib Dem lists.

Thus, the pro UK vote would maximise its chances at both constituency and list level. It is both a common sense solution, and as the recent Scotland Matters poll indicates, it is a proposal that would command widespread support amongst pro UK voters-96% of people polled have indicated that they would vote tactically, if a single unionist candidate was presented to them at an election.

This is not a time for tribalism. We all yearn for the day when our parties can return to fighting it out over issues of principle where our policies may naturally differ-on tax, on education or on the environment. But this is not that time.

The SNP have spent over a decade making the divisive issue of flags and identity central to Scottish politics and elections.

Only by removing the SNP from office can we restore calm and civility to Scottish politics, and return our focus to issues of utmost importance without the constant threat of division and grievance hanging in the air.

I urge you all. Commit to an Alliance for Unity, and hit the reset button Scotland so desperately needs.

Thank you.