This one is for liberals and lefties in England who would screw-over Scotland to get one over brexiteers. You are supporting the very nationalism you claim to despise.
I still think the nats saying "oh no, we're not getting smaller, we're going to join the EU and be an international outward looking country" is the same as the Brexiteers saying "no we're not being isolationist, we're going out into the world to be a great trading nation and do deals with the US and China."
I also wondered if you were going to do a post on the 'Scottification' of the country eg. excessive use of flags, Saltire symbols- 'Braveheart'- style culture and so on? I work in Scottish heritage and I'm sure I notice a creep towards much more of that stuff.
The only honest SNP and Indy Nationalists during Brexit are the third of SNP voters and likes of Jim Sillars and Alex Neil who voted on their own ideological grounds for Leave.
I just cannot fathom how any of rest can be against the UK and pro EU. It truly is an idiotic and ideological argument.
60% of our trade is with the rUK along with family, friends and opportunities but they want borders!
Whilst 15% of trade is with the EU and the case majority of Indy masses know nothing of Europe beyond the holiday booze up locations.
And it just proves that the brass necked SNP will use any grievance for their cause.
It is mind-blowing how they get off with this blatant propaganda and hypocrisy.
If they truly cared for Scotland they would not be trying to inflict the greatest act of self harm since Darien.
And I forgot to mention the Sturgeon claiming that the "White Paper" Scotland's Future gave a detailed proposal in how iScotland would be whereas BREXIT had no detail.
However, though the White Paper was many pages long, they were still devoid of actual facts and realistic projections. Indeed oil was the centre piece ...and it has crashed, and had criticized for being the volatile commodity it has proved to be.
How can anyone have by faith or trust in the SNP given their past record in Government and the complete collapse of their economic case from 2014, without any acknowledgement or attempt to resolve those issues?
While I agree with elements of your analysis, the situation is certainly not helped by the fact that the argument for Brexit misrepresented at every level the actual ‘political’ operation of the EU so as to present it as an oppressive and dictatorial body forcing its will on the UK. You led the campaign to keep Scotland “in” the UK, on the grounds that as long as the UK remained in the EU, its voice and rights were being heard, a myth that unraveled in 2016. Where in the EU every nation has an equal voice, in Westminster that is (and under the present regime fully exposed) a blatant falsehood. Due to the Rotten Borough electoral system pertaining in the English part of the UK, “England” dominates Westminster, and to try to pretend otherwise is to ignore the imbalances. Scotland has long complained about this, and it is simply never going to be addressed. It is a major reason Mrs Thatcher refused any suggestion of any sort of federal arrangement, since it would, at a stroke, render England no more than something like a “Primus inter pares” and give Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland much more control than suits any English dominated government.
I have no skin in this fight, I’m English/Irish, though if you trace my genetic make-up, I’m “European” with a little of every nation in my genes. The politics of nationalism is always divisive, but never more so when one Nation is allowed to completely dominate all its supposed partners, and that is what has happened in the UK in the last 10 or so years. Whatever Scotland decides, I will support it, but it has to be decided in Scotland, not in Westminster.
The trouble with ‘democracy’ is it is never a single event. The argument in 2014 for staying in the United Kingdom was that Scotland would then leave the EU and not be able to rejoin. It was said at the time that being in the EU benefited Scotland and many (I do have a lot of former friends and colleagues in Scotland on both sides of this debate) argued that remaining in the UK was the only way to remain in the EU ... then, barely twelve months later the English demanded a vote on remaining in the EU, voted to leave, and changed one of the key issues in the Scottish Independence vote. No one should now be surprised some want to hold another vote. Referenda are probably the worst possible way to decide major constitutional issues. At best, under the UK constitution they are no more than an expensive opinion poll, as our constitution makes no provision for them.
I agree regards referenda but that's what happened. The EU "issue" is nothing but a grievance mongering sideshow as 1m of Scots voted for it including a third of the SNP...but excluding me.
"London" voted "Remain" too, and "Wales" voted "Leave". But that's not how referendums work, it is the overall vote.
An EU referendum was already known about and noone thought it was really going to go to Leave. However we "the people of Scotland" voted to remain in the UK and this was a UK vote for "the people of the UK".
Scotland breaking with the UK would have far greater issues than the UK with the EU. There is no point dividing up these isles and putting borders across for petty Nationalist nonsense. It would be the greatest act of self harm in our country's history, up there with Flodden or Darien.
As I said in my original reply, remaining in, or leaving the UK, is a question only the Scottish people themselves can answer. England has its own problems, starting with the quality of the people currently filling the benches in Parliament. An education at a Public School should never be an automatic qualifier for high office, and the other half of that problem is the absolutely corrupt First Past The Post system with some two hundred ‘safe seats’ in which a sitting MP from a single Party cannot be ejected because of overwhelming Party support. In my own constituency the incumbent’s ‘majority’ is so large more than half the voters might as well not bother voting. There is something very wrong when a party can get a huge majority with 43% of the vote, a mere 1% more than they had eighteen months earlier on which they had no majority.
I’m not sure I can agree with you on the consequences being on the same level as Darien or Flodden. Darien held the lure of gold, but turned out to be swamp, breaking with the UK would not empty the Treasurery as Darien did, and the nation has a reasonably firm commercial and industrial base on which to sustain itself even without the North Sea oil/gas. As to whether the SNP will be the right people to manage an independent Scotland — I shall bow out of that discussion!
I don't believe you have seen the data on the fiscal position of the current Scottish economic outlook and the reliance on the UK taxpayer.
These figures are produced by the Scottish Government every year in a report called GERS. We are currently about £15bn per annum in deficit, the equivalent to the NHS Scotland budget. And that's a consistent figure for over a decade and getting wider.
I suggest you have a wee think about your assumptions.
I am born, raised and live here. I have an understanding of what the SNP are doing here, and the propaganda being gobbled up outwith these borders.
I’m sure you’re right regarding the data, I do have a number of friends on both sides of this argument who live and work in Scotland. As for the politics, I’ve yet to find any politician that lives in the same reality and universe as the rest of us.
There is, in my opinion, a solution. “England” needs to be divided into the pre-Norman ‘kingdoms’ and each get it’s own assembly, with Westminster becoming a Federal government in which each of the ‘nations’ has equal standing and equal say. You will still find that there needs to be some ‘balancing’ mechanism, but the problem is the dominance in the present system, of Westminster over everyone else due to the almost automatic dominance of the English Tory Party. As long as that persists, there cannot be a resolution to the legitimate complaints which feed into the separatist argument.
The power balance will move, every political dominance comes to an end.
What I see from introducing further divisions in Government is just more money wasted on politicians, administration and as with our experience in Scotland a lack of accountability and responsibility. Blame always going to the central government.
I'd abolish Holyrood and give power back to the region's. The quality of politician at Holyrood is appalling.
This is really good - it says exactly the kind of things I've wanted to say to English liberal/left friends since 2014, but haven't been able to find the words. They genuinely don't seem to realise how unpleasant the political environment has become in Scotland - or that Scexit advocates use the expression 'Project Fear' in exactly the same way as Brexit advocates.
I still think the nats saying "oh no, we're not getting smaller, we're going to join the EU and be an international outward looking country" is the same as the Brexiteers saying "no we're not being isolationist, we're going out into the world to be a great trading nation and do deals with the US and China."
I also wondered if you were going to do a post on the 'Scottification' of the country eg. excessive use of flags, Saltire symbols- 'Braveheart'- style culture and so on? I work in Scottish heritage and I'm sure I notice a creep towards much more of that stuff.
The only honest SNP and Indy Nationalists during Brexit are the third of SNP voters and likes of Jim Sillars and Alex Neil who voted on their own ideological grounds for Leave.
I just cannot fathom how any of rest can be against the UK and pro EU. It truly is an idiotic and ideological argument.
60% of our trade is with the rUK along with family, friends and opportunities but they want borders!
Whilst 15% of trade is with the EU and the case majority of Indy masses know nothing of Europe beyond the holiday booze up locations.
And it just proves that the brass necked SNP will use any grievance for their cause.
It is mind-blowing how they get off with this blatant propaganda and hypocrisy.
If they truly cared for Scotland they would not be trying to inflict the greatest act of self harm since Darien.
And I forgot to mention the Sturgeon claiming that the "White Paper" Scotland's Future gave a detailed proposal in how iScotland would be whereas BREXIT had no detail.
However, though the White Paper was many pages long, they were still devoid of actual facts and realistic projections. Indeed oil was the centre piece ...and it has crashed, and had criticized for being the volatile commodity it has proved to be.
How can anyone have by faith or trust in the SNP given their past record in Government and the complete collapse of their economic case from 2014, without any acknowledgement or attempt to resolve those issues?
It really is incredible.
While I agree with elements of your analysis, the situation is certainly not helped by the fact that the argument for Brexit misrepresented at every level the actual ‘political’ operation of the EU so as to present it as an oppressive and dictatorial body forcing its will on the UK. You led the campaign to keep Scotland “in” the UK, on the grounds that as long as the UK remained in the EU, its voice and rights were being heard, a myth that unraveled in 2016. Where in the EU every nation has an equal voice, in Westminster that is (and under the present regime fully exposed) a blatant falsehood. Due to the Rotten Borough electoral system pertaining in the English part of the UK, “England” dominates Westminster, and to try to pretend otherwise is to ignore the imbalances. Scotland has long complained about this, and it is simply never going to be addressed. It is a major reason Mrs Thatcher refused any suggestion of any sort of federal arrangement, since it would, at a stroke, render England no more than something like a “Primus inter pares” and give Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland much more control than suits any English dominated government.
I have no skin in this fight, I’m English/Irish, though if you trace my genetic make-up, I’m “European” with a little of every nation in my genes. The politics of nationalism is always divisive, but never more so when one Nation is allowed to completely dominate all its supposed partners, and that is what has happened in the UK in the last 10 or so years. Whatever Scotland decides, I will support it, but it has to be decided in Scotland, not in Westminster.
And "we the people of Scotland" already had our say in 2014 and decided to stay in the UK. Unfortunately the SNP don't believe in Democracy.
The trouble with ‘democracy’ is it is never a single event. The argument in 2014 for staying in the United Kingdom was that Scotland would then leave the EU and not be able to rejoin. It was said at the time that being in the EU benefited Scotland and many (I do have a lot of former friends and colleagues in Scotland on both sides of this debate) argued that remaining in the UK was the only way to remain in the EU ... then, barely twelve months later the English demanded a vote on remaining in the EU, voted to leave, and changed one of the key issues in the Scottish Independence vote. No one should now be surprised some want to hold another vote. Referenda are probably the worst possible way to decide major constitutional issues. At best, under the UK constitution they are no more than an expensive opinion poll, as our constitution makes no provision for them.
I agree regards referenda but that's what happened. The EU "issue" is nothing but a grievance mongering sideshow as 1m of Scots voted for it including a third of the SNP...but excluding me.
"London" voted "Remain" too, and "Wales" voted "Leave". But that's not how referendums work, it is the overall vote.
An EU referendum was already known about and noone thought it was really going to go to Leave. However we "the people of Scotland" voted to remain in the UK and this was a UK vote for "the people of the UK".
Scotland breaking with the UK would have far greater issues than the UK with the EU. There is no point dividing up these isles and putting borders across for petty Nationalist nonsense. It would be the greatest act of self harm in our country's history, up there with Flodden or Darien.
As I said in my original reply, remaining in, or leaving the UK, is a question only the Scottish people themselves can answer. England has its own problems, starting with the quality of the people currently filling the benches in Parliament. An education at a Public School should never be an automatic qualifier for high office, and the other half of that problem is the absolutely corrupt First Past The Post system with some two hundred ‘safe seats’ in which a sitting MP from a single Party cannot be ejected because of overwhelming Party support. In my own constituency the incumbent’s ‘majority’ is so large more than half the voters might as well not bother voting. There is something very wrong when a party can get a huge majority with 43% of the vote, a mere 1% more than they had eighteen months earlier on which they had no majority.
I’m not sure I can agree with you on the consequences being on the same level as Darien or Flodden. Darien held the lure of gold, but turned out to be swamp, breaking with the UK would not empty the Treasurery as Darien did, and the nation has a reasonably firm commercial and industrial base on which to sustain itself even without the North Sea oil/gas. As to whether the SNP will be the right people to manage an independent Scotland — I shall bow out of that discussion!
I don't believe you have seen the data on the fiscal position of the current Scottish economic outlook and the reliance on the UK taxpayer.
These figures are produced by the Scottish Government every year in a report called GERS. We are currently about £15bn per annum in deficit, the equivalent to the NHS Scotland budget. And that's a consistent figure for over a decade and getting wider.
I suggest you have a wee think about your assumptions.
I am born, raised and live here. I have an understanding of what the SNP are doing here, and the propaganda being gobbled up outwith these borders.
It's a parallel universe
I’m sure you’re right regarding the data, I do have a number of friends on both sides of this argument who live and work in Scotland. As for the politics, I’ve yet to find any politician that lives in the same reality and universe as the rest of us.
But we in Scotland are dominated by Glasgow. And like London Glasgow is unlike every other part.
Even after independence London would still dominate these islands, as it did pre Union.
But "independence" would have a significant negative impact especially the n Scotland and the poorest in society.
There is, in my opinion, a solution. “England” needs to be divided into the pre-Norman ‘kingdoms’ and each get it’s own assembly, with Westminster becoming a Federal government in which each of the ‘nations’ has equal standing and equal say. You will still find that there needs to be some ‘balancing’ mechanism, but the problem is the dominance in the present system, of Westminster over everyone else due to the almost automatic dominance of the English Tory Party. As long as that persists, there cannot be a resolution to the legitimate complaints which feed into the separatist argument.
The power balance will move, every political dominance comes to an end.
What I see from introducing further divisions in Government is just more money wasted on politicians, administration and as with our experience in Scotland a lack of accountability and responsibility. Blame always going to the central government.
I'd abolish Holyrood and give power back to the region's. The quality of politician at Holyrood is appalling.
This is really good - it says exactly the kind of things I've wanted to say to English liberal/left friends since 2014, but haven't been able to find the words. They genuinely don't seem to realise how unpleasant the political environment has become in Scotland - or that Scexit advocates use the expression 'Project Fear' in exactly the same way as Brexit advocates.