This UK Government cannot be trusted to behave democratically. We have seen that in the prorogation of the Westminster Parliament and in tricks like not providing tellers to count votes against an amendment, causing it to pass. Ian Blackford, SNP leader at Westminster, described Boris Johnson as behaving “like a dictator, not a democrat”.
It is highly likely that the Scottish people will shortly be voting on whether to become an independent nation again. It is essential that process be scrutinised by formal international invigilation, to make sure the conduct of the referendum is fair.
Please sign the petition for international observers to the next Scottish Indyref. Only the UK government can request an OSCE observer mission (it must be a current member state that asks), therefore the petition must be addressed to Westminster, not to Holyrood.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, through its Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, is the organisation specifically charged with monitoring democratic processes in Europe, and in which the UK government is an active participant in monitoring other countries’ elections.
Not only will the OSCE send a large team to observe the conduct of the campaign and physical balloting and counting process, they will send an advance team of experts with international experience in monitoring media bias in campaign situations, with a particular emphasis on state media. These experts will produce a careful and scientific quantitative and qualitative analysis of the extent of media bias, and this analysis will be presented to all the member states of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe. The very presence of the international monitoring team will be a strong deterrent to bad media behaviour, and will boost public confidence in the process.
In the 2014 referendum there was massive anti-Independence bias through all the privately owned media and also, blatantly and demonstrably, within the BBC.
There was a crucial and highly significant breaking of the rules of the referendum when the Unionist parties combined to issue the (since spectacularly broken) promises of “The Vow” during the official purdah period of the last week. Suspicion was attached by many to some extraordinarily high postal vote turnouts in certain localities. All events of this kind would be subject to real time scrutiny were an OSCE observer mission present.
We are frequently told by the government that, when it comes to their programmes of mass surveillance of the population, “if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear”. Those who wish to claim that it is axiomatic that both the media coverage and the physical process of an Independence referendum would be fair, have nothing to fear from OSCE scrutiny. It is an organisation of which the UK is a contributing member anyway, so there are no grounds to objection to its monitoring.
The OSCE handbook on the media monitoring they will undertake is well worth reading and gives a valuable insight into how thorough they are. They do not just measure crudely the amount of time given to each side. They assess the quality of coverage of each side, the inferences and body language of the presenters. They look at the legal, institutional and ownership framework in which journalists operate and the pressures on them to self-censor, as opposed to just considering whether there is formal state censorship.
It is essential that all sides in a future Independence referendum have trust in the fairness of the process. There is every reason to believe that British state institutions, including both the BBC and the Electoral Commission, need to be subjected to outside scrutiny.
Wherever you are in the UK, and whatever your stance on Scottish Independence, please sign and support this petition for strengthening confidence in the fairness of democratic process. The restoring of Scottish Independence and the break-up of the UK state is a major step; it is essential that the process involved in the decision is accepted by all as fair.
Obviously an observer mission takes some time to organise and needs to be in place right from the start of any campaign period, or even before. Like all international organisations, the OSCE’s processes take some time to agree between members. Therefore it is essential to launch this petition now rather than wait until a referendum is called.
This must never happen again .
Must never happen again.Scotland must be independent.
Scotland ??????? needs these advisors to facilitate an honest and fair insured without Westminster interference
Scotland deserves better out now.
Ill come in a heart beat Alba Gu Brath
I do not trust Westminster to allow a fair referendum. I expect them to try and interfere with the results as they did last time.
I suspect the Westmonster government ‘rigged’ the results of the last independence ref. PLEASE dont allow this to happen again.
I want a fair vote this time
Honest and fair this time.
We won’t be fooled again
The underhand tricks used in the last independence referendum must never be allowed to happen again! I sat and watch the counting and Yes papers being stacked in NO piles unacceptable!
Any future Referendum must be seen to be fair and above board with no scope for the lies and bias of the first Referendum.
What happened in 2014 was disgraceful, the whole world seen how Scotland was cheated, it’s on videos for everyone to see also. Even the Queen got involved when she is meant to be neutral! It’s unfair and unjust and it’s time Westminster were/are held accountable for their devious, underhand tricks. Scotland NEVER votes Tories but we always get them in power. It’s OUTRAGEOUS in the 21st Century that this shit is still going on!!
Sky news footage at the time of the 2014 one should be enough to indicate this should be so. That way it would protect all interested parties, and give little room for any one to claim ‘foul’!
Keep them away from the ballot boxe’s, and postal vote’s, they rigged the last vote, in 2014.
after the problems that circulated last time, there is a need for an independent group to count the votes.
Westminster cant be trusted in anything now. We need outside monitoring
We were cheated by wastemonster in the indyref 1 and we must never ever ever allow that to happen again
we do not want it like last time
I think after the cheating, finagling, lies, and downright fixing that went on in the 2014 referendum we must have an independent adjudicator system in place. Preferably from the UN.
We were robbed by Wastemonster and MI5 last time….never again!!
The Electoral Commission belongs to the country we are trying to leave. They are not impartial. International observers are essential.
The process needs to be above board and transparent.
After the 2014 debacle, it is obvious neither Westminster nor their pals are to be trusted. Brexit / 90 000 ancient Tories choosing Johnson and inflicting him as PM on four countries has shown they have no idea what democracy is. Keep the whole shower of ceach away!
Yes because I think we got shafted the last time.
This must be spread far and wide – there must be NO hint of dishonesty this time!
Stunned by the length of propaganda that had been applied to turn Scotland against herself!!
SCOTLAND has already seen MANIPULATION of VOTES BY INFLUENCES OUT SIDE OF SCOTLAND BEFORE. INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCE WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.
I watched in horror the last time as votes were counted and before and feel this shouldn’t happen again there has to be a fair and secure count .
Independent adjudicator definitely next election