“The SNP are on a very dangerous tack. What they are doing is trying to build up a situation in Scotland where the services are manifestly better than south of the border in a number of areas.”
When asked whether that was a bad thing, Lord Foulkes replied:
“No, but they are doing it deliberately.”
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2013-09-19.16.159
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We’ve had a short sequence of three Conservative Prime Ministers, lost the monarch that seemed to be the glue of the kingdom, the pound has attempted to compete with Alton Towers for largest amount of hills and drops, pensions have been ruined, mortgages doubled, energy bills tripled, the Bank of England doing the Hokey Cokey, all culminating to inflation soaring like a kite.
In short, unless you’re pretty stinking rich. You’re now immensely poorer and likely somewhat anxious about the future.
The Labour Party suddenly spiked in the polls in response to the Conservative and Unionist party dropping like a stone. However after a quick shuffle of the tory deck – it seems the Labour leader, Sir Kier, has managed to bore everyone to death, while revealing no new policy on what Labour would do better (versus the number 2 choice of the Conservative Party), and all but solidified stealing defeat from the jaws of victory, again.
As ‘trick or treat’ begins across Scotland, a bizarre story pops up from Alex Massie in The Times. I must confess to being a Massie fan, he writes incredibly well, is concise and well informed. Horror stories ahead though in what appears to be two points we need to address.
The first is that the European Union rebuffed a story The Times tried to punt earlier in the week that Scotland would be using the Euro inescapably, instantly, and against its will as soon as it was independent and looking to join the EU.
The truth is far from that, yes – Scotland must commit to joining the euro at some point if it becomes a member. It just so happens, that no one gives a damn when – in fact many countries just wave it off in the style of a parent to a young child – “aye maybe later son”.
This is a well known established fact. The Times seems hurt that its four secret sources didn’t actually contribute the initial slam dunk that I think the newsroom anticipated.
What we can see though, is that the European Union no longer keeps quiet on behalf of the UK and is happy to clarify points of process, even in the pretext of Scottish Independence. This will prove useful later on and is the real story here.
Secondly, to simplify the headline and article – there seems to be upset that the SNP (or the Scottish Government more correctly), don’t highlight any negatives or flaws in their independence plan.
I assume the headline is written by someone else, as I think everyone understands it’s the oppositions job to highlight the flaws in an opponents political party statements, not the proposing party.
However it would be fair to say the Scottish Government could do a better job at explaining some of the trade offs for Independence. There is however a whole, ’mother of all democracy and parliaments’ that should realistically be making the case for itself and its continued existence, in Union.
Last time round we were told the currency would crash, we’d be out of Europe, pensions would fall, inflation would sky rocket, and we’d all be poorer, following a vote for independence. It’s a real shame that the UK Government then put full throttle to making it happen, in Union.
Perhaps this is why we need the ScotGov to argue both ends?
Alas, John Curtice seems to agree. In his dissemination of the Social Attitudes Survey, it turns out 66% of people think the Scottish Government works in Scotland’s interests, vs 22% believe the UK Government does.
To be totally fair – if the Scottish Government did literally nothing and just watched the UK Government while eating popcorn, it wouldn’t demonstrably change that result.
The game is up. If we gesticulate wildly at the unfolding storm that is the UK, you can’t fairly come to the conclusion that it has your best interests at heart.
Which leads us back to the accusation of being romantic nationalists, believing that everything will be better, that nothing will be worse and independence is the answer to, whatever the question may be.
Guilty as charged.
The UK right now is woeful, devoid of imagination or hope. Bereft of any sign of better. When it truly is as tragically bleak and beleaguered as it appears to be. It’s hard to be anything less than enthusiastically romantic about the idea of departing and doing things differently. After all – none of the those who left Imperial Britain ever came back. Indeed even more seek to leave.
As this blog started, it carried an older quote about the state of services being deliberately and manifestly better under devolution. I sense the future may be somewhat similar.
“The Scottish Government are on a very dangerous tack. What they are doing is trying to build up a situation in Scotland where the independence proposals are manifestly better than south of the border in a number of areas.”
Would that be such a bad thing?
“No, but they are doing it deliberately.”
If that’s the tactic, it only works so long as the situation down south continues to be worse than what we have here. I’m not convinced by this and can draw on personal experience, I use a couple of visits to local A&E and can only describe it as very unsatisfactory, especially when compared to an elderly relative’s recent experience in central London, which I witnessed – far superior!
It sets a low bar if snp/Scot Gov see it as acceptable to say” things are bad but look how much worse it would be for you if you lived down south.”
Are we meant to be greatful?
Oh it’s an incredibly low bar and does lead to rather diminishing returns. However I don’t think we can be against the Scottish Government at least attempting to portray a more positive future in the guidance it issues on independence.
To the author – it’s like death by a thousand cuts, each failure, every incompetence, every corruption and miserable attempted cover up by lack lustre, mediocre politicians, who masquerade as public servants leaves me cold.
If Scotland ever does regain her independence, these imposters should be nowhere near our legislature.