DD Write - Sample texts for VWJR

Important:  When writing to your MP or MSPs, you must provide the following personal details otherwise you may not receive a reply:  Full name, residence & postal addresses, and contact details (Phone / e-mail).

Firstly, it’s unlikely that MSPs are going to react to letters from constituents who (i) they either don’t know, or (ii) who don’t have a clear personal experience about which to talk.  That’s not to say that writing such letters is necessarily a waste of time but rather to highlight that, the more a letter is personalised, the more likely it is to generate a meaningful response.

Given expected Stage 2 timing, letters need to be written asap and through Autumn 2024.

Here are some sample texts which can be used for tailoring communications to MSPs on the Victims, Witnesses & Justice Reform Bill (VWJR):

The essential message which should appear in all letters is the following:

I would therefore appreciate if you, as my Constituency MSP, as well as my List MSPs copied on this message, would table a Stage 2 amendment to the VWJR Bill to add the text "Subject to Referendum" prior to its enactment.  I would also appreciate if the Criminal Justice Committee, copied on this message, could favourably consider your amendment request ” (address of CJC:  justice.committee@parliament.scot ).

The following additional texts might nevertheless be useful in a first letter:

Acceptance of such a request for a Stage 2 amendment would send an immediate positive message to the electorate and the resulting spin-off in terms of trust and polling would almost certainly represent a major turning point for the future of Scotland's National Governance.

I would also appreciate if, at the same time as they consider such a proposed amendment by MSPs, members of the Criminal Justice Committee could recognise the wider implications of my request.  I'm suggesting a non-partisan governance pathway which could be the first step towards defining a new consensus-oriented relationship between the Scottish Government & Parliament (including the political parties), on the one hand, and the People & Regions on the other.  Two partners with one ambition - the Common Good of Scotland.

I believe that the only thing preventing adoption of such a request is the UK-imposed idea that one can hold referendums only as and when Government so decides.  This is contrary to the Popular Sovereignty notion that National Governance is a partnership between Government and Parliament, on the one hand, and the People and Regions on the other.  As my duly elected MSP, I therefore request that you take note of our formal relationship as equals - with the People nevertheless ultimately having the last word - and act accordingly.

In a second letter (e.g. you wish to send a reminder (in the case of no reply) or you wish to reply (to an unsatisfactory MSP response) we suggest the following:

If necessary, the above essential message should be repeated.  Thereafter, MSPs should be left in no doubt that they are our elected representatives and that it is therefore their duty, as MSPs, to represent the wishes of their constituents.  They should also be left in no doubt that, if they continue to ignore legitimate requests for a referendum on two important constitutional changes, you will consider voting for an alternative MSP at the next Holyrood election.

DD Write - Sample texts for ICCPR

Important:  When writing to your MP or MSPs, you must provide the following personal details otherwise you may not receive a reply:  Full name, residence & postal addresses, and contact details (Phone / e-mail).

Firstly, it’s unlikely that MSPs are going to react to letters from constituents who (i) they either don’t know, or (ii) who don’t have a clear personal experience to talk about.  That’s not to say that writing such letters is necessarily a waste of time but rather to highlight that, the more a letter is personalised, the more likely it is to generate a meaningful response.

In the case of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right (ICCPR), on 17th August 2024 wecollect.scot filed a Petition request Recognise Direct Democracy (DD) by enacting the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights with the Scottish Parliament and this was rejected five days later by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions team (CPPP).  We believe the rejection to be incorrect and expect to resubmit the request to the CPPP Committee shortly.

Letter-writing in support of enacting ICCPR should be ongoing throughout the remaining term of this Parliament

Here are some sample texts which could be useful:

I’m writing to you as a Scottish citizen as described in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1976 (ICCPR).  ICCPR Art 25 guarantees my fundamental direct Political Rights and I therefore request that you immediately take all necessary steps to recognise my rights, including those to participate in popular initiatives and referendums.  Your role, as my parliamentary representative, is to legislate for the exercise of such direct Political Rights.

ScotGov has opted not to include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Scotland’s National Human Rights Action Plan for 2023-2030 ("SNAP 2") however it's foreseen that events may evolve and changes to the plan can be made.  In this context, I therefore request that you take steps to immediately implement Art 25 of ICCPR and that SNAP 2 be updated accordingly.

I also believe that, since Scotland wants to be seen as a "world leader" in the field of Human Rights, the 8th Periodic Report of the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), 3rd May 2024, can’t be ignored.  This report repeats previous UNHRC criticism of the UK's failure to implement ICCPR even though it was ratified by the UK in 1976 - almost 50 years ago and still not implemented!  It also criticizes the UK for not ratifying the First Optional Protocol on the individual complaints procedure.  Both criticisms apply to Scotland as well.

Personally, I don't like being a citizen of a country that doesn't keep its international treaty commitments and I suggest that you and your MSP colleagues shouldn't either.  I therefore repeat the above request that ICCPR Art 25 be implemented in the specific case of the VWJR Bill, a devolved matter, in compliance with the Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020.  This will represent an important first step towards a system of National Governance based on consensus as opposed to the current conflictual model of Parliamentary Sovereignty imposed by Westminster.

DD Write - Sample texts for ICCPR (continued)

In its 4th February 2024 report, The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHSC) recommended that (i) “the UK, at every level of government, desists with all policy activities which restrict or undermine the level of protection for civil and political rights in ICCPR” and (ii) “the Scottish Government pursue measures to improve public participation in public affairs at all levels”.