28th December 1988: BBC Scotland reported a series of para-military attacks on Scottish National Party (SNP) and Scottish Labour Party offices and officials by extremists operating under the banner Siol nan Gaidheal (Seed of the Gaels).The Siol nan Gaidheal (SnG) had been an ultra-nationalist wing of the SNP until they were expelled from the party in the early 1980's. Under the leadership of Jackie Stokes and inspired by ultra-nationalist movements across Europe, the SnG began to organise for 'military struggle' when the civil war erupted in England.
Stokes was hugely critical of SNP leader Gordon Wilson's agreement with Cranwell to support the London Government in return for independence, believing that that the weakened state of the English government meant that independence could be declared unilaterally without the need to gain English acquiescence.
I hate to say this but I was a member of SNG during the late 80s. Most of us saw it as a cultural group but there you go.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't vouch for its veracity but the entry on Wikipedia does mention some para military training and arms caches in the early 80's which I've extrapolated a bit (ok, a lot!)
ReplyDeleteThe reason I took them was the SNP explusion which in this twisted alternate reality could lead to a campaign against the SNP rather along the lines of Ireland in the 1920's with two nationalist groups fighting each other, the SnG fearing the setting up of a "Free State" rather than full republic.