Interview with Charlie Abel, ALBA Party candidate in Kincorth/Nigg/Cove, Aberdeen

 Interview with Charlie Abel, ALBA Party candidate in Kincorth/Nigg/Cove, Aberdeen

• Why an Alba Party candidate in Kincorth?

Well, this is where I live and this is where my family are, and I feel strongly about independence and I was helping the other candidate that was standing with his campaign, so then I agreed to stand in the area. I’ve never been a politician before, this is my first attempt in politics but I feel strongly about Scottish independence, and I think if I don’t do it no one else is going to do it.

• What are the main issues you want to prioritise in this campaign?

Independence is bigger than a local issue, but I think it’s an issue that faces us as a major issue. Scotland not being independent is creating a massive injustice on our people, and we are the energy capital of Europe here in Aberdeen, from where I live I can look at the window and I see the biggest offshore windfarm in the world, so with an energy rich country we produce gas six times more than our needs. The renewable production in Scotland is five times more than our needs, yet the standing charges in our electric power have just doubled and they are going to double again in October; the prices went up, we pay more on transmission charges in Scotland, which is a great shame and a massive injustice. The only way Scotland will get that sorted out is through independence, because Westminster has no intention in helping us. 

• Why have you chosen to run as an Alba Party candidate and not as an SNP one?

I was an SNP member and I used to deliver leaflets for the SNP, but I became disillusioned with the direction of the party leadership a couple of years ago. The SNP leadership are prevaricating on independence, they’re more a party of devolution and they use independence to keep themselves in power, some of them are quite comfortable there on their high salaries. The First Minister said she had time on her side, but the rest of us don’t have time on our side, we need our independence and we need it as soon as possible. I don’t think the approach the SNP are taking on trying to get a referendum from Boris Johnson is a good position for the Scottish people, we don’t need permission to have a referendum, we are sovereign people and if we want to have a referendum on independence or any subject, we shouldn’t be neeeding permission from Westminster.