The best small country in the World?

I have recently been stating the following sociological data on several radio stations about the structural inequalities faced by Irish Catholics in Scotland. A few people have emailed me and asked for some clarification. I am happy to provide that.

Firstly what is “Occupational parity”?

The term is generally understood among equality professionals as the representation of women, minorities and persons with disabilities in particular occupational categories in the recruiting area. This has generally been accepted as a primary basis for defining affirmative action goals and underutilization. It is a clear benchmark of whether or not there is job discrimination extant.

Occupational parity was achieved for Catholics in Glasgow in the under 55 years of age cohort in 1991.

However, for the whole occupational cohort to 65, that’s the entire working population that bench mark wasn’t reached until 2001.

Yes 2001.

The 21^st century.

The best small country in the world?

Really?

Certainly not if you’re a Catholic of Irish heritage.

The structural inequalities have gone, a century after they were banished from New York.

These socio economic barriers are now down because mainly because a Catholic education sector inculcated a strong ethos of self-improvement and a belief in higher education

Now we have the attitudinal discrimination fed steroids by a media fearful of a drop in circulation.

The reportage of the treatment of Neil Lennon has shined a light on the darker corners of the Scottish psyche.  Newspapers are giving the paying public what they want.   Of course the fourth estate should be leading the charge for decency.

Just like the Famine Song controversy in 2008 my trade in Scotland has, with a few honourable exceptions, signally failed.

Several leading sports journalists defended the “Famine song” as “banter” in 2008 before a High Court of Justiciary found in 2009 that it was indeed racist, inflammatory and illegal.

Once more the Fourth Estate’s moral compass appears to be knocked out when the victim is Neil Lennon.

The coverage of the campaign against the Celtic manager is proof that the attitudinal discrimination against Irish Catholics is alive and well in modern Scotland.

Neil Lennon is a symbol, a cypher, for the old racist Scotland to hate and attack.

Although the days at the days at the back of the economic bus in Scotland are over for the Irish community there remains much to be done before Scotland’s boast about being the best among the small nations of the world has any validity.