OH how I wish a majority of MPs from parties wanting a referendum on Scottish independence will be elected to Westminster in 2024. But wait, is that not the same idea I see before me, the one the Unionist parties at Westminster have chosen to ignore time and time again?
There is no evidence that in 2024 the end result will not be the same response, along with the “most powerful devolved government in the world” trope being the reason for ignoring the democratic wish of the people of Scotland.
The historic reality is that the English Empire does not let go of your country unless you are no longer useful to them, you give them a mighty boot in the crutch, or both.
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Scotland is far too useful to be let go simply on the democratic wish of the people of Scotland, as what would provide the collateral for the UK Government borrowing on HS2, the long-delayed replacement Trident nuclear submarines, the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster and all the rest?
Now folk may begin to understand why Sunak is issuing all these new licenses for the UK North Sea and North Atlantic. Oil and gas are only a “national” asset if you are pumping them out the ground for the next 100 years. Yet if it becomes solely “Scottish oil and gas”, England has very little to offer lenders as collateral given the “offshore” nature of much of the City of London’s trading and financial activities and a rundown industrial base reliant on SMEs surviving the impact of Brexit and lost contracts.
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So please tell me why this 2024 General Election result will make any difference, given the current UK Government has trashed the UK economy, fed inflation by raising interest rates making everything more expensive and can not face the truth, Brexit was an economic disaster with the worst yet to come as the full impact of meeting EU regulations as a non EU or Customs Union country hit home.
I just do not see how this latest cunningest electoral plan will fare any better in gaining Scotland a referendum than any of the previous Baldrickian cunning plans.
Me? I am just going to dig my steel toe-capped “steaming” boots out, aye ready.
Peter Thomson
Kirkcudbright
AS a proud Scotsman, and rightly so, I’ve always wondered about the “Scottish cringe.” What exactly is it? According to Wikipedia, it is a cultural cringe and claimed to exist by politicians and cultural commentators.
Those politicians and commentators say that the cultural inferiority is felt by many Scots due to a perceived dominance of English or Anglocentric British culture, partly caused by the importance of London within the UK, and consequently a sense of Scottish resentment and underachievement.
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I’m not expressing resentment, but the fact is that the Scottish cringe is a construct by those politicians and cultural commentators to undermine Scotland’s national self-confidence. They either know little or nothing of Scotland’s illustrious history or they deliberately choose to ignore it.
The number of inventions and discoveries by Scots is truly amazing: radar, television, the telephone, penicillin, vacuum flask, flushing toilet, refrigeration, pneumatic tyre, hypodermic syringe, fingerprinting, electric clock, ATM and MRI scanner – the list goes on. Those inventions and the Scottish Enlightenment of David Hume and Adam Smith, two names known throughout the intellectual world, were made possible by Scotland’s universities, schools and parishes. I haven’t even touched on the subject of the many famous Scottish writers, artists and explorers. Scotland has always punched well above its weight and continues to do so today.
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Sir Winston Churchill praised the Scots, saying: “Of all the small nations of this earth, perhaps only the ancient Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind.”
Churchill’s encomium to the Scots was recently echoed by Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, when he said: “ Scotland is arguably the most innovative nation in the history of the world, alongside the ancient Greeks.”
So much for the Scottish cringe, so much for underachievement. As the tennis player John Mc Enroe once vehemently protested: “ YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS.”
Sandy Gordon
Edinburgh
I AGREE with both Kate Forbes and Fergus Ewing – the Greens are systematically destroying the belief in independence and support for the SNP. More was achieved by Alex Salmond with a minority government than will ever be achieved by this link with the Greens. So far they’ve infuriated those in our coastal communities with their HPMA drivel and annoyed the rest of us by wasting around £90 million on a deposit return scheme. Of course their support for self-ID and GRA has split the SNP in two. Sturgeon used this policy to move the SNP further away from independence and Humza is simply following suit.
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If we are to be independent we need the public to believe in the competence of the Scottish Government, and that isn’t possible with the Greens and a weak First Minister. However, the first thing Humza has to do to change things is to ditch the electoral liability of the Greens and then start focussing on sensible policies that the majority support rather than tying the independence flag to divisive policies like GRA.
Alex Beckett
Paisley
I WAS saddened to read of Kelly Given’s diagnosis of long Covid (A dreaded diagnosis is actually giving me hope, Aug 10). She has not had it easy. Despite her medical problems she is a woman of spirit and even though I am in my seventies I appreciate her articles for their clarity and content. Like her, I share a love for Zakynthos and a belief in independence. I know what that brain fog feels like even though it only lasted weeks with me. I don’t think I could sit through the Barbie movie with her but she explained why my granddaughters loved it. Thursday’s article was as well-written as ever and I wish her a short and speedy recovery. We need people like Kelly.
Colin Harvey
Kirkintilloch
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