Today is St Andrew’s Day.
Therefore, it is a moment to consider Scotland.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave her keynote speech today to the virtual SNP conference, and she is certainly a highly polished communicator.
The Covid pandemic has given her a platform to demonstrate that to the people of Scotland on a daily basis.
That is not to say, as some had suggested, that she is in any way enjoying the crisis for PR purposes.
However, her clear messaging has been in stark contrast to the General Melchett shambles in Number Ten.
I’m not surprised that the Scottish administration has handled this crisis well.
It is a small part of Britain that disproportionately provided the middle management of the British Empire for centuries.
The Scots were a key part of that global imperium and is one of the reasons that, compared to here in Ireland, the separatist urge was so lacklustre throughout the 20th century.
However, in the post-Brexit world, it looks certain that Scotland will be the main story in these islands over the next decade.
I was in Glasgow in September 2014 the day after the YouGov poll was published; it showed that 51% of those polled favour of independence.
There was a PR event at the steps in Buchanan Street that day, and I accompanied Gary Gibbons of Channel 4 News to the Yes Scotland rally.
On the way there he agreed with my assessment that the YouGov poll and put the London political elite in a panic.
Suddenly the folks in Westminster had to contend with the possibility that Scotland might decide to leave the UK.
In the end, the British establishment prevailed in the only opinion poll that mattered by 55% to 45%.
I was in the count centre in Ingliston through the night as the results came in from around Scotland.
Prime Minister David Cameron was exultant as he spoke in the early morning outside Number ten.
The British political elite and the mainstream media had saved the day.
I don’t think that any of the sleep-deprived hacks thought that two years later that the UK would vote to leave the European Union.
It was English nationalism’s terrible beauty, and all was changed, changed utterly.
Looking over the hedge from Dún na nGall it is self-evident that an independent Scotland can be a high-functioning, prosperous European country with a seat at the UN.
In her speech today the First Minister tackled the view that Scotland is “too wee” to cope alone in the world by pointing out that her country was a similar size to Denmark and Norway and the Republic of Ireland.
In her speech, the bibliophile Scot referenced a Turkish novelist who explored the multiple identities that makes us human.
“As you know, I’m a bit of a bookworm. The Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, is one of my favourites.
She wrote this about what it means to belong in many places at once:
‘A human being, every human being, is boundless and contains multitudes.’
“People in Scotland recognise that sentiment. We are a people comfortable with multiple identities.
“As an independent country, we can be decision-makers, partners, bridge-builders.”
Comfortable with multiple identities First Minister?
Really?
Does that include the Irish in Scotland Nicola?
If she is serious about that, then I think she needs to have a word with one of her colleagues.
The Scotland that Ms Sturgeon envisages is certainly not the one that I was born into in the 1950s.
Therefore, social progress is on the agenda and this is to be welcomed.
Her main message on IndyRef2 is that the British government cannot ignore the will of the Scottish people.
Well, actually they can Nicola.
Westminster remains sovereign over Alba, and the SNP play their part in that state of affairs.
Power devolved is power retained and all that…
Of course, when it comes to money, some folks have no self-respect.
For example, this is the degrading shite that members of the British Parliament have to say in order to pick up their cheque for £81k:
“I (name of Member) swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”
When you consider those words and what they mean, then the performance art of the SNP MPs in the Commons does look rather hollow.
In our decade of centenaries here in Ireland, it is clear that the Scots have a much easier route to statehood that we have had to endure.
They should take it.
Even during the humiliation of the Troika a decade ago, no one here thought that breaking away from the Brits had been a bad idea.
An independent Scotland would deal a fatal cultural blow to many in the Northeast of this country who over-identify with Fair Caledonia.
Indeed, all things tartan are key to underpinning their Bradaish identity.
Ironically, this is the only demographic on this island that is hostile to the idea of an independent Scotland.
If the current opinion polls continue then there will be an unanswerable case for a second independence referendum and it will probably overturn the result in 2014.
However, there will be a minority in Scotland who will cling to the concept of Britishness.
It is a state of mind.
However, like here those folks are on the wrong side of history.
The inconvenient truth is that until Ms Sturgeon and her party create a legitimation crisis in the British state, then Boris and the chaps can ignore anything that emanates from Scotland.
For the avoidance of doubt, the legitimacy of Westminster to rule Scotland can be effectively challenged by entirely peaceful means.
I laid out the analysis in this piece last September.
However, it does require the SNP MPs to forego their paycheque.
Now, on St Andrew’s Day, that shouldn’t be too much of a sacrifice to ask of those Bravehearts…
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As I have said before – across both Westminster and Holyrood – there is not a single person on the SNP benches who would be willing to go to jail, or risk their life, on behalf of Scottish independence.
Not one.
And so Nicola can ultimately whistle for a new referendum.
Sturgeon is much more of a PR official than a politician. This is why she manages to put lipstick on the pig which is the SNP’s record of governance. Its also why she is pretty lightweight politically, for example the details of the independence pitch are still no more solid or comprehensive than in 2014 (and the SNP’s attempts to legislate generally land like bricks).
She is made to look good by several factors, including how inept Holyrood opposition is and the fact that many SNP fans are low information voters. Often these are former Labour voters, who look at – and understand – the state in the same way as a baby chick looks at (and understands) a parent bird with a worm dangling out of its mouth. They are rarely of sparkling intellect, having a world view built on what they have heard on comedy shows and the ghost of “that Maggie Thatcher”, a figure akin to “the big bad wolf” in certain Scottish circles.
The predictability of such people – and their dependence on the state – is why Labour dominated for decades, but now they have switched to the SNP. Nicola understands the nature of this part of her support and exploits it to the full. But time is short, and these people will ultimately be lured onto the next person pitching snake oil and hand outs.
In every area, Sturgeon’s PR and constant politicking help cover up poor SNP performance. Scotland’s COVID deaths are the 3rd worst in the world, proportionally. 47% of Scotland’s deaths occurred in nursing homes, compared to 30% in England. Devolution has delivered the worst standard of Scottish education on my lifetime (pushing 43) – what better advert against Independence, than that fact alone (given education is a major constituent in the life chances of young people)?
Unionists in Holyrood seem unable to draw attention to all this – helped by a media which goes soft on Sturgeon (the failing Scottish press in part thinks independence might be its saviour, if competing whole-UK titles fell out of the market, or came to be seen as “English papers”.).
Despite “Mammy Nicola” appearing open and honest, she tells lies as naturally as breathing. This was exposed yet again by Andrew Marr in a recent interview. Anytime Sturgeon is in front of a competent UK-level interviewer – Marr or Neil (two Scots, incidentally) – she is exposed and made to look a dishonest fool who cant even string a sentence together. Of course, much of her support prefers “Geordie Shore” over “News night” etc and so do not see this.
The SNP essentially buy votes – freebies and gifts for all, (well state employees, mainly), thanks to UK money. £500 for NHS staff for the effort of making tiktoks in empty hospitals, over months. Free tampons for the girls, to steal the headlines (“leading the world”). A rumoured extra weeks Christmas holiday for teachers – sorry, low-income working single-parents for whom this will cause childcare chaos: but you can’t hurt Nicola, while the teaching union can.
Their new election pitch is the exact same. Free school meals for all primary kids. Low information people think this is evidence of how independence would be a land of milk and honey, but none of this would remain post separatism (nor would free higher education). As regards the school meals – pitched as Saint Nicola’s generosity, it is in fact another example of the SNP administration taking over what are parents responsibilities.
This is the sinister part of the SNP – how totalitarian they are. They never stop prying on the people whom they understand as their “subjects”. They clearly dislike and distrust us, thinking us a bunch of racist jakeys who cant be trusted. Humza’s Stasi-like hate crime bill is the latest example, he is very interested in what people are saying in private. Coupled with listening devices, such as Amazon’s “Alexa”, (which does sometimes record its owners), this legislation is worrying.. A good part of their political effort is constantly trying to undermine and disrupt families.
They are also dishonest and unaccountable, currently openly defying the parliament which voted for legal information to be released – Sturgeon having formerly said she would assist in any way. When Westminster voted to force the British Government to hand over legal information, it did so the next day.
That is the difference between statesmen and women, and political shysters. I would much rather have a bumbling libertarian like Boris, than a PR-slick autocratic liar like Sturgeon.
For the ultimate example of Sturgeon-PR look at the recent pic of her on her twitter page. Sitting at a laptop held up by a stack of brand new, pristine, unread books, all arranged so the viewer can read the trendy titles and what they imply about Queen Nicola. The windowsill in the background with its contents all arranged to face the camera too, including a picture of the late Bashir Mann – obvious fishing for muslim votes. The picture must have been deemed too small in retrospect, as Humza Yousef later drew attention to it on twitter, just incase anyone had missed it.
As for a “seat” at the UN – well those are not worth much, any nation can have one, including Scotland. However, very few countries have a permanent seat on the UN security council and a permanent UN veto. The UK is one of them. Scotland’s low information voters are often ignorant of such facts and/or do not grasp the value of them.
Oh dear it must be awful to live in a world in which you have absolutely no comprehension. I think you are more deserving of pity than scorn…but then that would be from one other than I.
Once Scotland become Independent there will be no need for the SNP or Sturgeon. After an independence vote, there would need to be elections to decide which party would lead.
All parties Labour, Tories etc. would have to form a Scottish party separate from the English head office.
Once these parties are formed elections would be held and the people would decide which party rules. As for the EU, no matter Sturgeon’s bluster there won’t be an EU by the time we are likely to be requesting admission. There are clear signs that once the UK leaves, the system will collapse. The other EU countries will never vote to cover the money the UK used to provide. Ireland for example would have to vastly increase their contributions, and that would mean raising taxes, Not one single Irishman will vote to pay more tax simply to hand over to the wasters in Brussels.
As a Roman Catholic of Irish descent, I would feel very vulnerable in an independent Scotland.
Scottish catholic haters will be given a free reign. I’m not fooled by the snap pretences about equality.
Once they have what they want they will throw catholic voters to the wolves.
The schools will be the first target.
So there will be a line of angry Catholic haters with pitchforks and torches marching down the street to root out all those Papists, eh?
You are living in the wrong century I’m afraid.
I am a Catholic of Scoto-Irish descent and I welcome the day independence is achieved.
Imagine spending our own money on things that are important to us.
No HS2 or Trident. An enormous amount of money to spend on Scottish priorities.
As someone of identical ethnicity, I would feel no such vulnerability whatsoever and am thankful that there is zero evidence to support your ungrounded fears.
I do not believe that the oath of allegiance to the Royal Family is an impediment to independence. Personally, I have no time for these hereditary parasites and would gladly be rid of them. However, it is necessary to acknowledge that there are some in this country who desire an independent Scotland and have an attachment to the successors of the Royal Family of Scotland. They perhaps envisage a constitutional settlement similar to that between 1603 and 1707. Without them, it is less likely that we would recover our independence. The role of a Royal Family could be a discussion to be dealt with later in an independent Scotland
Enjoyed that,I was a wee while reading all the links,but it did take my mind off the Celtic nonsense that is all encompassing atm.
How right your prediction was Phil,sad sorry state of affairs it has panned to be and not easily remedied either.
Cannot see how we go on and win the league,new manager or not,there’s a mountain to climb.
Maybe DD will unearth another top quality manager,he’ll have to foot the bill though,as I’m sure he can easily afford one.
We’ve a true billionaire at our backs,that’s moonbeam heaven across the Clyde,they can only dream of that reality.I’d pray for that scenario if I was religious.
For me DD is the only person that could change our destination and how we get there,
Cheers Phil🍻
Why would you need to pray (if you were religious) for a billionaire at your back if you already have one?
Desmond told the fans at the very beginning, when asked how much he was putting into Celtic, that he would be putting zero, nothing, 0, zilch, not a thin dime into Celtic. They had to stand, or fall, on their own feet.
Owing a billion pounds does not a billionaire make. He doesn`t have the type of personal money required to save Celtic now even if he so wished and no
businessman would use any of his bank loans to prop up a football team who can hardly win a game now with the best talent in the country at their disposal.
I was hoping he’d step in like he did when he brought Rodgers in,I understand he paid for that in full;alas,as you’ve just informed he will not use his own cash so,someone’s wrong here.I’m not looking for an argument,stating the obvious here but, atm I feel we need to,too many CFC🍀 fans having a go at each other,solving nothing,but it is great entertainment for that lot.Although,they’re well overdue that,as we’ve been laughing at them since 2012.
Either way it’s probably a forlorn hope and most likely won’t happen,we will be one step closer to a decision after AC Milan skelp our arses in the Gran Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.No fans there to witness that is probably a bonus.
Do fellow Scots who wish for Independence wish for a Neoliberal approach to Economics ( Under the SNP) or a return to a Democratic Socialist approach under a reformed Scottish Labour movement separate from London?
If you really want Independence I think you need to answering that question before any attempt to leave the current setup is sought.
By the way a rush back to the EU will see a continuation of the former and the death of any hope of the latter so I’d be very careful about that decision also.
The EU simply doesn’t do a Socialist agenda.
The citizens of an independent Scotland would have the opportunity to choose their own political direction. The SNP, which arguably might have served their purpose, would only be one of the choices.
I have seen no signs of democratic socialism from Westminster in the past 50 years.
The Neo-Liberal agenda you allude to started in the UK in the 1980’s under Thatcher it continued under the Blair Labour government 1997-2010 and continues to this day. The EU adopted this Neo-Liberal policy in the 1990’s their is no chance that these economic policies will change in the UK after Brexit and in fact they will more than likely become more free market friendly under the present Tory government. When Scotland becomes Independent the decision whether it rejoins the EU or joins EFTA or stays outside both will be made by a future Scottish government elected by the people of Scotland. If after next May’s elections in Scotland the people elect a pro Independence majority and the government in London refuse a referendum then the Scottish government will have to look at a programme of civil disobedience and recall the SNP MP’S from Westminster.
It emerged in West Germany post War and is developed from Keynesianism
Isn’t it Ironic that Germany now has such a strong hand in Europe and where the European Central Bank chose to put their Headquarters?
The problem with the Neoliberal Economic approach is that it is prone to boom then bust due to the fact Private Debt is allowed to get out of control.( as was the case in 2008)
In fact it is ignored on the whole.
This is a cycle that will repeat itself and is reliant on the Tax Paying Working classes to bail it out.
In fact that is always the answer.
Remember no Bankers were jailed,were forced into zero hour contracts,had to go to a foodbank or put their hand out for Government assistance just to get by.
No they still got their bonus,golden handshake and carriage clock thanks.
Seriously who wants to Subscribe to that cycle of events for an eternity?
Answer: The EU
I would love to see a return to Enlightenment values, but that seems even less likely than economic equality or economic freedom.
Duncan, the whole point is that we will get the government we vote for whether it’s right or left wing, instead of constantly having to put up with whatever England votes for.
So many of the English working class vote Tory, which rarely happens in Scotland.
This also means that we can vote for or against joining the EU as an independent nation but it will be our choice with no one deciding for us.
That’s true democratic freedom.
There is no such thing as true Democratic freedom.
Yes free to choose which direction you WANT to head in but not how you are going to get there or indeed where that final destination is when you do.
It seems to me there is a great desire to break away from one level of control (which is fair enough given how long Scotland has been under it) but to simply hand it back to another to me anyway makes absolutely no sense at all.
The EU whether you like or not has subscribed fullly to Thatcherism as it’s only way forward.
That destination ends in disaster for those with Socialist values.
No. You want independence or you don’t.. The type of government thereafter is a different matter. Independence is a route to having control of the government you get. Attaching conditions beforehand lessens the likelihood of the goal being achieved.
I do not believe that the oath of allegiance to the Royal Family is an impediment to independence. Personally, I have no time for these hereditary parasites and would gladly be rid of them. However, it is necessary to acknowledge that there are some in this country who desire an independent Scotland and have an attachment to the successors of the Royal Family of Scotland. They perhaps envisage a constitutional settlement similar to that between 1603 and 1707. Without them, it is less likely that we would recover our independence. The role of a Royal Family could be a discussion to be dealt with later in an independent Scotland
Her rules are as confusing as down South! Can stay in another person’s house over Xmas but can’t stay in a hotel with the same peope in separate rooms!
Bravehearts or a parcel o’ rogues?
You’ve had well over one hundred years of throwing off the shackles. We took those shackles and tied them to ourselves.
We’re a long way away from comparisms with our Irish pals. Give us a break from that please Phil.
I hope I am wrong,
but I think the last chance Scotland had to RETURN to its traditional, independent status – via the ballot box – was in 2014.
A post-Brexit, London government is never, ever going to let Scotland leave,
…without a fight. 🙁