THE Scottish Government has called in the plans approved by the Labour/Conservative-run Stirling council to build a race track over part of the historic Bannockburn battle site.
Ministers made their decision clear to take control over the planning application in a letter published on the Scottish Government's Planning and Environmental Appeals Division website on Wednesday afternoon.
The decision to allow the construction of a harness racing track on the historic site was met with disbelief and fury by campaigners and by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which said it would seek a judicial review of the decision if the planning application is not refused by the Scottish Government.
The application proposes erecting a trotting track and a building to be used for toilets and a bar and takeaway for hot food and drink. Competitor and spectator vehicular paths and footpaths would also be built as well as parking areas. The part of the battle site which is affected consists of around 8.7 hectares – about 14 football fields – and is currently green field agricultural land.
Bannockburn is easily the most famous battle in Scottish history and was also one of the most historically significant battles fought on Scottish soil, as well as being a landmark moment. The battle took place on 23-24 June 1314 and saw 5000 to 8000 Scottish troops led by King Robert the Bruce meet an army of 20 to 25000 troops and cavalry raised from England, Ireland and Wales by the English king Edward II.
It was the largest invasion force in Scottish history. The battle turned into a rout for the English king's army and marked a turning point in the first War of Scottish Independence which ended 14 years later with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton which saw the English monarchy officially recognise the Kingdom of Scotland as fully independent and Robert Bruce and his heirs as the rightful rulers of Scotland.
The battle site marks the place where around 100 Scottish soldiers died fighting for Scotland's freedom from the oppression of an invading feudal English king and where around 700 English knights and men at arms met their ends. An additional 11,000 infantry soldiers in the English army were killed as Edward II's army retreated in confusion.
Not only is the battle site the place where Scotland secured its independence, it is also the place where hundreds of brave men on both sides of the conflict met their deaths. The site has a similar significance in Scottish history and culture as the site of the Battle of Hastings does in England or the site of the Battle of Gettysburg does for the USA.
The fact that Labour and Conservative councillors in Stirling would even consider a planning application to build a harness racing track on such a historically significant site, never mind actually approving it as they did, proves beyond any doubt the utter contempt both parties have for Scottish culture, history, and identity. No English or American council would dream of turning over parts of the historically significant Hastings or Gettysburg battle sites for conversion into sports facilities.
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However, the Conservative and Labour parties in Scotland are desperate to minimise and destroy anything which demonstrates that Scotland is a nation with a history and culture of its own that fuels an appetite for Scottish independence. 700 years on from Bannockburn the Labour and Conservative councillors of Stirling would have held open the gates of Stirling Castle for Edward II's invading army while denouncing Robert Bruce as a vile separatist calling himself the king of a country with no culture or identity of its own worth speaking about.
The ghosts of those Scottish soldiers who died that day in June 1314 should haunt them in their dreams. The real enemy of Scottish independence is the Cringe, and it is sadly alive and well amongst Stirling's Labour and Tory councillors. There are no depths which they will not sink to in their pathetic desperation to stick one on the "nats" and that includes traducing and trashing a priceless Scottish historical site in pursuit of a quick buck.
Now that the planning decision has been called in by Scottish Government ministers we can hope that the philistine culture free zone that passes for Stirling's Labour and Tory councillors will be sent hamewards tae think again.
Always one to boost the gaiety of the nation, Scottish Tory social media disaster there's been a Murdo Fraser has once more caused widespread mirth by calling on his rivals in the bitter and bad tempered to end their bids for the Scottish Tory leadership and allow him to replace Douglas Ross uncontested.
Jamie Greene and Liam Kerr have both announced that they are dropping out of a race that makes the Borgias look like the Last of the Summer Wine in order to give their support to Fraser.
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Fraser also unveiled his plan to attract SNP and independence supporters to the Scottish Tory cause. Eh, good luck with both of those ideas, Fraser. Asking independence supporters to vote Tory is a bit like asking badgers to vote for a TB cull.
Russell Findlay, the MSP at the centre of allegations of dirty tricks and a party hierarchy stitch up, unsurprisingly rejected Fraser's idea out of hand, saying: "Our members should decide the next leader. Not any small group of people at Holyrood." Did you clear that one with Ruth Davidson and Douglas Ross, Russell? The last time Tory party members in Scotland got to choose the Scottish Tory leader he was unceremoniously ousted by the same small group of people who are now trying to install you.
Nominations for the contest closed at noon with Findlay, Fraser and deputy leader Meghan Gallacher all securing the required backing of 100 members in order to go forward. The ballot will close at 12pm on Thursday 26 September, with the winner announced the next day.
This piece is an extract from today’s REAL Scottish Politics newsletter, which is emailed out at 7pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Wee Ginger Dug.
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