My parents arrived in Derby in 1939 newly married and hopeful for a good future. They were both children from Motherwell, a steel city built on grime and coal. I remember it with affection because the people were honest working class and they welcomed a little 'English' boy into their bosom.
My late son rediscovered his Scottish heritage 50 years later and decided that this was really his 'home' country. He delighted in wearing his grandfather's kilt and graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with his Law Degree wearing it. His friends are delightful and our banter about Scottish weather and southern softies continues in good natured friendship.
That is the relationship which I enjoy with Scotland. I was schooled and reared in England and I consider myself English because I never, ever actually lived in Scotland. Yes by birth I am Scots but I am what I feel and I feel English.
So after that laboured introduction how do I view Scottish independence? Alex Salmond and his SNP crew are challenging Westmonster and I for one have had enough. The problem is that Scotland is actually a single party country. The Tories don't exist culturally and the Labour Party has let so many people down. Unlike the English the Scots actually think about politics. They realise that the Scottish Labour politicians, led by Gordon Brown, have let them down.
Enter the SNP (Scottish Nationalist Party) and their threat to hold a referendum on independence. The Scottish people will be given an opportunity to decide their future (unlike the English) and they can vote for independence. I doubt very much if they will secede from the United Kingdom because, if they do then they will be worse off.
By the way ask the English (nobody ever does) what they want from the union with Scotland...you people north of the border would seriously not like the answer. Tell Alex Salmond to shut his stupid mouth because you may regret what he wants! Down here we are sick of Scottish politicians...Brown, Blair, Darling, John Reid, Kennedy, Martin and on it goes! England really would be well rid of you!
We want Scottish independence! Please go your own way. We can them renegotiate our membership of the EU. We have really had enough of Scottish bigotry built up over years of historical distortion. It is about time that the Westmonster government asked the English people to vote for or against this union but if the English ever get a vote on anything then the world would change! The time will come.
7 comments:
Could not agree with you more.
Send those noisy trouble makers back over the border and take that non-musical object the 'Kist O'whistles'
with them.
The Stone of Scone is ready in place for William, King of Scotland. (as I predicted fifteen years ago).
Wouldn't the Queen Mum be proud!
No more foreign kings of England. Perhaps the Anglo-Saxons will reclaim their own land.
Actually what we WANT is to be rid of Alex Salmond and his zany party but that won't happen. Of course we also want equality with the Scots (and the Welsh come to that) and a settling of the Midlothian question. - English Parliament?
Why not choose 9th September 2013 as the date Alex? 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden Field (seriously eerie place). Ooops - the English won that one.
I have undertaken work in Glasgow and Edinburgh and found people friendly and not racist.At least no more so than the sheep ******* title bestowed on me as a Derbyshire man.(by those from Notts mainly) Then again I didn't go the poorer areas in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. In the tourist areas there are more English than Scots in tourist times.
IF the Scots actually choose independence it seems that some regard Hadrian's Wall as an English built border. It is neither English built nor the border. since I live just 2 miles south I would start to be worried about the re-appearance of border reivers (robbers and vagabonds from Scotland).
In my view it would damage both England and Scotland if they voted for independence and would create enormous administrative nightmares, most of which the media has not yet even explored.Passports, pensions etc etc to infinity. Then again it might mean that the remnants of the UK - England, Wales and NI would also have to re-apply for EU membership. Now THAT WOULD be a plus. More than one way to skin a cat as they say.
Tks for your interest guys. It will never happen! The Scots are far too canny to ditch the English subsidies. They just use the SNP to stick two fingers up at the English! All the same Bewick I liked your Flodden link! All the Scots I know are really nice people and they won't let this happen. Even they won't want the euro imposed on them!
C'mon guys, get a grip. I was going to comment nice and peacefully and sensibly about how all we want is a bit more say in what goes on in our country and also to keep these bastard Thatcherite/Cameron Tories away from us or from having any power over us. But you give me all that racist biased nonsense.
Bigotry? That will be the same bigotry that called Scotland "North Britain" for years.
SNP? A party that has actually tried to do something for the people and stand up to Westminster.
Alex Salmond? A politician who is better than every other politician in Britain (opinion of political commentators) and surprisingly is an honest politician he stated right from the start that a referendum would be held in the second half of this parliament.
2013? Why not 2014, the anniversary of Bannockburn?
"In the tourist areas there are more English than Scots in tourist times." - Well D'uh, it is called tourism.
Border Reivers were from both sides. Who regards Hadrian's wall as English built? Name names.
Have look at this about subsidies, http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/11/scotland-12288-union-public
Do not tell me what the Daily Fail says because it is a crap paper only suitable to wrap chips in.
Mendiplad - I don't understand your comment, not one bit of it makes sense.
I've been waiting for you GRN as I was sure this was right up your street! None of my Scottish friends really want true independence. They enjoy the benefits that the SNP has bestowed upon them and why not? The problem is GRN that much of the racial bigotry emanates from north of the border. Frankly the English by and large don't care! Really they don't, they dislike the unfair manner in which Scottish politicians dominate Westmonster and they are envious of your parliament, free prescriptions and free university places but other than that you can do what you want!
You have much more freedom than the English and so many just raise their eyes to the sky when Alex start to pontificate about independence. It is a smokescreen.
" Frankly the English by and large don't care! Really they don't, they dislike the unfair manner in which Scottish politicians dominate Westmonster and they are envious of your parliament, free prescriptions and free university places but other than that you can do what you want!
You have much more freedom than the English and so many just raise their eyes to the sky when Alex start to pontificate about independence. It is a smokescreen."
Bry, you have somehow made this sound a bad thing. Scotland has always been a different place, we have always had different laws, separate health and education systems. I take your point about Scottish domination of Westminster but that is hardly our fault if England can't produce quality MP's. How do you think we feel when we are told what to do by English MP's and we are now seeing the Midlothian question in reverse, Scottish issues being debated by England.
Can I take you back to your post of 8th May 2011? Independence for Scotland? I answered you then and nothing has changed up here. People will NOT vote for independence but will vote for more powers to be devolved - and it is this that Cameron is afraid of. He knows full well independence is a smokescreen, and as I pointed out last year, so does Alex Salmond. You say that the English don't care but it is them that are doing all the shouting at the moment - seriously, it was a none or minimal issue here.
I would be looking to see what else is going on, as an example, Bewick pointed out if Scotland and England change their relationship then England gets to renegotiate it's position in EU.
No Bry, I would look to see why Cameron has suddenly decided to do this. The Tories have never been forgiven in Scotland since Thatcher and one of her children is not going to start bullying us. On a personal note I find it repugnant that the Scottish secretary is a Liberal Democrat with a face I would never get tired of punching who is only in the job because he has sold out his principles.
Nice comment from SNP MP today at PMQ's - "There are more giant pandas in Edinburgh zoo than Tory MP's in Scotland.
As usual GRN you defend your corner well and you bring a different perspective to this blog. May I point out that when I said 'The English don't care', I should have qualified it by adding 'people'. Our politicians are different because by and large English politicians are a treacherous bunch and you do well to keep them at arm's length! The people however, do not have the same antipathy towards the Scots as historically the Scots have towards the English. I just wish that we down south could develop a nationalist party which could command respect because we sure need one. Tks for your input.
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