Thoughtcrime

Wikipedia: The Thought Police (thinkpol in Newspeak) were the secret police of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four whose job it was to uncover and punish thoughtcrime. The Thought Police used psychology and omnipresent surveillance to find and eliminate members of society who were capable of the mere thought of challenging ruling authority.

Orwell's Thought Police and their pursuit of thoughtcrime was based on the methods used by the totalitarian states and competing ideologies of the 20th century. It also had much to do with Orwell's own "power of facing unpleasant facts," as he called it, and his willingness to criticise prevailing ideas which brought him into conflict with others and their "smelly little orthodoxies." Although Orwell described himself as a democratic socialist, many other socialists (especially those who supported the communist branch of socialism) thought that his criticism of the Soviet Union under Stalin damaged the socialist cause.

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I have always believed that a healthy debate inside a political party strengthened the party and it's members. That was why I was disappointed when the '79 Group inside the SNP were expelled in the early 80's for their strong Republican Socialist stance. A leading light of that movement was one Alex Salmond.

I am just a tiny little unimportant cog in the great big machine, so my views don't count for much, but I do like to think that I adhere to and agree with the vast majority of the policies, and when the local branch take a position that is (a) wrong, and (b) contrary to national policy, I think it is only right that I make my views known, even to those who refuse to listen, discuss or debate.

Angus MacNeil explains his
windfarms policy to the SNP Council Group

How naive of me.

Us little cogs are supposed to shut-up, do as we are told, be undermined, forego our beliefs and principles and not rock the boat. Or else, as the email I received below demonstrates: -

Cllr Angus Nicholson (sic)
38 Francis Street
Stornoway
Isle of Lewis
HS1 2NF

23 March 2007

Dear Cllr Nicolson,

Your blog - http://angusnicolson.blogspot.com/index.html - has been brought to my attention. On 3 March you wrote an article in which you state that you are now able to run as an Independent candidate in the May elections. I believe that you have made clear your intention to run as an Independent, and have distanced yourself entirely from the SNP.

As a result, you have invalidated your membership of the SNP and I will have your name removed from the membership list forthwith.

Yours for Scotland (sic)

Duncan Ross
National Secretary

So there you have it, after 28 years of membership they can't even spell my name correctly. Now, just thinking about standing as an independent is obviously a crime, which must be worrying for the other local SNP members who already sit as Independent Councillors. But, my goodness, I said all this 18 months ago, and only a fortnight ago the SNP drew my annual membership by direct debit.

There is an upside. I no longer feel constrained to temper my comments. So let's start with: - It's over 2 years since the Data Protection Act registration with the Information Commissioner lapsed. I repeatedly advised the MP and the Branch to comply with the law, but they still haven't. I used to pay for this and ensure compliance with the law, but after May 2005, it was made clear that this was not to be my responsibility. That makes all the emails that have been sent out, a breach of the law.

Then, of course, there are the party political emails I received from a parliament.uk address which are utterly contrary to the rules for public funding. I am sure that taxpayers will be unhappy with this sort of improper back door funding of a political party.

Phewww, that's a weight of my shoulders. If I need to cleanse my soul anymore, then here is where I will do it.