Independence is lost in the Greenery

Plug “independence” into the Scottish Green Party’s search engine and you get three results. One about the independence of watchdogs, one about media independence and one about Scottish Independence (30th November 2005) Oh yes the greens support independence, so much so it scarcely figures in their public shop window and they can let another St. Andrew’s day pass by without following up – did they forget or don’t they care?

And when you get into the substance of their position - suddenly you are overwhelmed by their passion and vision: “Greens support independence, if or when the people support it” So there it is folks…over to you.

Part of the current problem in Scotland is that if you want an end to the Act of Union then you’re kind of forced to contemplate voting SNP - whatever you think about their other policies. Should the SNP dissolve after independence? I’ll say they should but I’ll bet they won’t. Whatever, in an Independent Scotland there will still be Labour, Liberal, Conservative and the rest, politics will resume normal service.

The tricky bit, for now, is that voters in the “Union” parties who want independence, and I assure you there are plenty, have got a difficult decision this election. If they hold their nose and vote for the nats, Scotland can get out of the Union with a return to normal voting on the other side of the independence dateline.

If, on the other hand, they succumb to the fearmongering and vote against independence as per usual, the Greens will never get to find out if or when they should take a stand on the independence question.

 Love

 McGellie x

Douglas where’s your sources? (inc. update #1- a reply)

Dear Mr McGellie

Thank you very much for getting in touch.  

Apologies for the confusion over the e-mail address and therefore for the delay in getting back to you. For future reference, it is best to use either:

ps/secretaryofstate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or

scottishsecretary@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

We shall get back to you shortly about the information you have requested.

Many thanks

Amy

Private Secretary

Scotland Office

020 7270 6806

Dear Douglas Alexander,

Just to check you are not “making it up as you go along” (sic) in your op-ed in today’s Sunday Herald, could you be kind enough to provide me with the necessary references that support your statement that it is a ”factual matter of European law which the European Commission and leading academics agree on” which would lead an independent Scotland to no longer be part of Europe.

I’m not a member of the SNP, but am working on a book on the Election campaign in the context of the 300 anniversary of the Union, so obviously sourcing and referencing matter to me. If you or your office would be kind enough to point me to the following:

        The article(s) in European law which would result in Scotland being removed from the Union and made to apply for re-entry at the “end of a very long queue”

        The list of leading academics you cite who agree with this interpretation.

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Yours sincerely

Giles McGellie

Your Ref: http://www.sundayherald.com/oped/opinion/display.var.1152857.0.

salmond_is_just_making_it_up_as_he_goes_along.php

Euro Champions – Scotland the beautiful game.

The Scottish Football Association have won the first round in their attempt to have the European Championship finals expanded to 24 teams. (BBC News Online 26/1/07)

Of course we’re good enough to get there on our own – currently top of qualifying group for 2008.

Football, currency – take your pick. Those who want nothing to do with the Euro in a post independence Scotland because it would compromise our – er- independence are cute but unrealistic. Being restricted to old firm games as the end point of our ambition doesn’t make sense to me. All this small country stuff talks us down.

Does Scotland have to leave The Pound when we leave the Union? Technically no, but I think you probably have to take a risk based analysis and the chances of England letting us go without pathetic attempts to make it as hard as possible are low – listen to Blair and Brown right now. The only way their negative prophecies will come true is if they make them come true and I’m not putting it past them. Taking Sterling for granted is naive.

In the real world this only leaves the Euro. It works. It’s there. The Labour party claim Scotland would have an £11billion deficit rendering us unfit for Euro membership. I’ve written asking for details, so you’ll hear more about this later.

A Scots Pound would have to be pegged to Sterling or the Euro otherwise George Soros and chums would take it out in a couple of days. So let’s restrict our flag waving to a Scots design on the back of a Euro note when it comes to the currency question.

The SNP know this is true but the current line is that there would be a further referendum to make the decision. I don’t have words for how sappy this is. C’mon guys, if were going to vote for independence, it’ll have to come as a package. People ain’t going to vote for theoretical independence dependent on a second vote on something as fundamental as the currency strategy. SNP sort it out. If you run scared of the big issues, you’ll run out of people to take you seriously. Oh it’s a tactical thing….?

Love McGellie x

Goldie Looking Strain

In an ePolitix interview with Annabel Goldie

http://www.epolitix.com/EN/Interviews/200701/a3fe54bb-ba8b-43b2-b80d-3b53d5d7932a.htm

she was on er form. Pity her hangover from the shadowless cabinet’s trip up North to patronise us

ePolitix: What policies will you be highlighting ahead of the May 3 elections? 

Goldie: The overriding theme I’ve been talking about for the last year or more has been that we have too many politicians in Scotland.

What, that’s the best the Conservatives can do? Deckchairs, Titanic – what are they on? Like many I think the Scottish Parliament comprehensively screwed up the parliament building (location, cost, PR, whatever) and the insipid leadership undermines confidnece. But whether we have 129 or 108 MSP’s cannot, simply cannot be the number one political priority. The incessant naval gazing of the parliament (salaries, expenses, allowances) that’s what alienates me.

Goldies commitment to common sense doesn’t extend to political analysis. In the same interview she explains that  the only party that is to the traditional right of centre is the Scottish Conservative Party – all the other are on the left.  But what is this centre? Right and Left are anachronistic and  simplitic, but for a party with only 13% of the MSPs to accuse the other 87% of being to the left of centre, either Goldie doesn’t understand what a centre is in the relative world of politics or she’s articulated something about the real values of the Scottish electorate.  Scotland is not like England. Where Tony was dragged to the right in order to asuage little England, we were never swayed, never persuaded. Ok this doesn’t explain the Scottish response to Thatcherism, but like David Cameron and the Tories today the guilty parties can repent at their  liesure. And, if Goldie is so keen on asserting her right of centre credentials, how is she going to get along with the Shadow cabinet the next time they come up to Scotland as they seem intent on travelling in the opposite direction guaranteeing more Goldie looking strain.

McGellie x

The odd word out in British Social Attitudes

The new British Social Attitudes Report finds a decline in Britishness caused not by the Scots and the Welsh but by a rise in the number of er British people throwing off that title. Sloughing off the Union Flag cocoon, they’ve found new colouring in the St. George cross.

Like most surveys, this probably comes as no surprise. On driving down to Cardiff, via Blackpool in the run up to the world cup last year, our in-car entertainment was counting the thousands of English flags draped over pubs, hanging off balconies, adorning vehicles.

 I welcome the English discovering their nationality. I don’t have to engage with it more than I want to, but perhaps we can learn something from them. They can also learn from us. What makes Scottish Nationalism (not the same as the SNP) so bearable is that it is fairly broad minded. Whatever you think about the SNP it’s not the BNP (though I assume they’ll be rebranding as the ENP shortly). The pettiness, the hatred, the xenophobia, all are absent from the Scottish picture. No doubt this is because the possibility of Scottish independence keeps the SNP sensible, wheras the BNP are still at the renegade/persecuted/outcast phase of political development.

Or, perhaps its because we absorb too much news. One of the reports other findings is that people who conume more news have a greater respect for people with different political convictions. By seeing the English as part of the equation that will unlock the Union, I’m happy to give them just as much respect as they want, and as much encouragement to find themselves as they need. All I ask is they don’t let their residual Britishness get in our way.

 McGellie x

Set the Captives Free

The risks of Scottish Independence are just too great - this might happen or that might happen and it will all be worse. Even if you don’t have a Unionist axe to grind, the uncertainty makes it all too scary. But what about the risk that Independence would make things better for Scotland? Who do we turn to for an accurate assesment of the possible risks and outcomes? Or perhaps lets have another approach:

The other big anniversary this year, along with the 300th for the Union, is the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade. This was a stunning act of political change brought about by political and social lobbying. Wilberforce was the poster boy but he was part of an ad hoc group, the Clapham Set. They managed to unsettle the churches acquiesence in slavery and ran a campaign that changed the law.

But what were the economic risks of abolishing the slave trade? How did they calculate the risks? Glasgow was a big time beneficiary ofthe slave trade. Why didn’t Glagow merchants campaign in against the abolition? They did – I’ll bet you they did. “You can’t abolish the slave trade, they said, it will be bad for business; someone else will do it; the economy will be ruined. And they were (partially) right. But we don’t mourn the abolition of the slave trade however imperfect the legislation was. It represents something GREAT about Britain. We took a (pretty much) unilateral risk to do something because it was right. OH MY GOD – CONVICTION POLITICS.

And so it is, there is no-one who can accurately predict what Independence will do to to our economy. Does that mean we settle for the status quo?

Send our Scottish politicians home (to think again)

The most elegant solution to the
West Lothian question is to repeal the Act of Union and hand out P45s to all the Scottish MPs.

 

So, there are 59 unemployed MPs, don’t worry! They won’t starve,
Westminster protects their own. But with the time they’ve got on their hands they could:

a:) Get a nice consultancy like disgraced Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish.

b:) Write an autobiography and go on the Lecture tour – ok for Brown, perhaps not for Browne.

c:) Rediscover their vision. They all said they went into politics to make things better, if they can’t do that at
Westminster, they could at an Independent Holyrood. That would raise the bar, ease out some of our underperforming MSPs and provide the vision, drive and talent to work through the threats, opportunities and challenges of
Independence.

 

Certainly you’d have reservations about simply swapping them straight into Holyrood, but with Gordon Brown, John Reid, Des Browne, Alistair Darling, Douglas Alexander, Michael Martin, Menzies Campbell, Charles Kennedy, Alex Salmond and all the rest, there is a considerable pool of talent. If they actually do believe in public service, let’s see them serve the public of
Scotland.

 

Welcome home MPs – your country might need you.

The West-Minster Question

This is the West-Minster Question: Why should Scottish politicians only be able to vote on half the political agenda? If you’re an MSP you get the unreserved stuff. If you’re an MP you get the reserved stuff (and whipped into an English domestic lather the rest of the time). Either way  a Scottish MP/MSP is only half an English MP. The Scottish people live in a Demi-cracy

The MSP’s hide their blushes and their half-potence, unable to control immigration, Trident, constitutional questions, foreign policy etc. etc. In Westminster the Scots MPs get to engage with these, but when it comes to domestic policy, they can only vote for or against Tony’s latest crackpot wheezes like encouraging gambling, faith based schooling etc. Lobby fodder is an understatement. What’s the point of risking political preferment by rebelling against the whips on matters that don’t affect your own constituents.

I don’t know if this is just me, but it seems that for too long I feel I’ve had to be positive about devolution. But Devolution is a half baked compromise to buy off a serious engagement with the
Independence issue. So why should I feel some weird kind of gratitude for having half a government. This is a profoundly Scottish response. The English complaint about the West Lothian question is just, but it’s not a one way street. Since constitutional matters are reserved, the obligation is on Westminster to reverse the emasculation of 1707 – reconstructive surgery has come a long way in the last 300 years.

Giles x

The Union MUST Stay – latest self-selecting poll news.

Breaking news: 77.5% of Express readers support the Union. Blow me away, they voted in their droves…Yawn (I’m actually amazed that nearly a quarter of those who could bother to vote are against). To fill up the space, they get facile comments from political parties. The best was Ann McKechin (Lab MP, Glasgow North) who reminds us that “The people of Scotland have much more serious issues that they wish this Government to deal with”. Without even going for the cheap Big Brother shot (so tempting), what could be more important than the Iraq war (which Ann opposed), Trident, our place in the world? Westminster doesn’t deal with education, health, housing etc. so she can’t be thinking about these. What’s the point in her sitting down in Westminster voting on English domestic matters when she could be back in Scotland actually making a difference (this is the corollary of the West Lothian question)

However, this is just so much waffle. What I want to know is - what did Diana think of the
Independence questio?. Surely it’s within Justin Toper’s psychic ability to find out and fill the front pages from now to May 1^st with all the shocking details.

Giles x

With Guardians like these…

I love the Guardian. It is my preferred paper. But when it comes to secession from the Act of Union they might as well be writing about a foreign country. The Guardian sells 15,000 copies in Scotland – that’s it! Really. And their Scottish coverage is second to … just about everybody else’s. So, when the Union attracts a lead editorial and a Simon Jenkins piece, it’s time to kick back and enjoy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,1991798,00.html 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1991978,00.html

The essential problem with the leader is that it’s simply not prepared to contend with independence as an issue. You can debate devolution for as long as you like and be very clever about it, but dismissing the repeal of the Act of Union by reference to a single opinion poll is perverse – (note: reading the Scotsman doesn’t count as original research up here!). I’m no SNP supporter, but you can’t just opine that the SNP would struggle in a proposed referendum on independence. If you’ve got reasons – let’s have them.

As for Simon Jenkins, well for god’s sake man your ignorance is symptomatic of the Metropolitan bias that inflames the call for independence. There’s the basic facts – the number of Scottish MPs has been cut – from 72 to 59. But what about: ”The British have long been hospitable to their minorities.” Exactly how do the Scots fit into that patronising phrase? We are the British, we are the minorities. That Jenkins wants Gordon Brown to “pass for English” is exactly the point. If a Scot cannot be PM just because he’s a Scot then there is no Union worth saving. If we, as Scots, accept that you as English will always want to be on top, then why should we hang around – devolution is never going to fix it.

“There is an easy answer to the West Lothian question” – I read with bated breath, but when I finally get to the end its setting up a Grand Commission. Oh please. I felt conned!I mean a  Grand Commission! Oh that’s a real stroke of genius.  

There is an easy answer to the West Lothian question, revoke the Act of Union and get rid of ALL the Scottish MPs – that’ll fix it. It may take a while to get used to the new realities, but the English will benefit as much as the Scots – you won’t have to get Gordon, and we will!

McGellie x 

Another Media Exclusive

Today the Scotsman splashed with a commemorative  four page cover and pages 2,3,4,5,6,7 etc., not to mention a 20 page supplement. The paper bemoaned the lack of public and media interest, though the BBC did roll out a special Newsnight resplendent with opinion poll. So January 16th must have been a big anniversary – or was it just journos stealing a march on their chums. Article 1 of the Union is explicit:

 I  That the two kingdoms of Scotland and England shall, upon the Ist day of May next ensuing the date hereof, and for ever after, be united into one kingdom by the name of Great Britain, and that the ensigns armorial of the said United Kingdom be such as Her Majesty shall appoint, and the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George be conjoined in such manner as Her Majesty shall think fit,and used in all flags, banners, standards and ensigns, both at sea and land.

Today we celebratethe Scottish Parliament signing themselves out of existence, but since the Union is also an English issue, celebrating the Union today is just a little silly.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Scotsman will have upped the debate which is well and good, but when it comes to the 300 anniversary, I’ll be counting down to May the 1st – Beltane. 

Giles x

Another Media Exclusive

Today the Scotsman splashed with a commemorative  four page cover and pages 2,3,4,5,6,7 etc., not to mention a 20 page supplement. The paper bemoaned the lack of public and media interest, though the BBC did roll out a special Newsnight resplendent with opinion poll. So January 16th must have been a big anniversary – or was it just journos stealing a march on their chums. Article 1 of the Union is explicit in its very first article:

 I  That the two kingdoms of Scotland and England shall, upon the Ist day of May next ensuing the date hereof, and for ever after, be united into one kingdom by the name of Great Britain, and that the ensigns armorial of the said United Kingdom be such as Her Majesty shall appoint, and the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George be conjoined in such manner as Her Majesty shall think fit,and used in all flags, banners, standards and ensigns, both at sea and land.

Today we celebratethe Scottish Parliament signing themselves out of existence, but since the Union is also an English issue, celebrating the Union today is just a little silly.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Scotsman will have upped the debate which is well and good, but when it comes to the 300 anniversary, I’ll be counting down to May the 1st – Beltane. 

Giles x

Flipping the Union Coin

The Scottish thistle, the English rose and two portcullis all arranged in an irreconcilable jigsaw puzzle riven by a gap laced with spikes – the people who designed this commemorative coin were clearly in favour of bringing the Union to an end. What a bunch of jokers!

The Act of Union specified that there would be a mint in England and a mint in Scotland – never happened. But, I’ve just checked and the ‘Scottishmint’ domain name is still available to any of you optimistic about an independent future!

Giles x

Union Currency Blues

The Royal Mint is to give us a £2.00 coin to celebrate the Union. Yippee. You can imagine the conversation in the Mint:

“Gordon’s told us to celebrate the Union by issuing a coin.”

“But he’s made us independent?”

“Shut up – you can’t say that word…”

“Ok – I’m on the case, but I’m going to make it a really crap design.”

And so they did. The worst part was they only made it a £2 coin. Do they really value the Union? I mean I know they’ve recently saved the £5 coins for royalty: Queen’s 80th, Queen’s coronation, Queen Victoria’s 100th, Queen Mother’s 100th, Diana and (separately) Charles. But, what about Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson and tellingly the 150 years of the Entent Cordial. I mean come on- The 100th anniversay of the Entente Cordiale – that was an arrangement with France! So 300 years of the Act of Union is worth only 13% of the Entente Cordiale – do the math – that says it all!

A £2 coin indeed, that puts the Union on the same level as the 50th anniversary of DNA, Guy Fawkes  or the Rugby World Cup. What? Does this Chancellor not even value the Union?

McGellie x

Gordon Brown – A deluded bully – or just running scared?

Over the weekend, the prime minister (s)elect mounted a pr offensive in support of The Union of the Parliaments. He’s been banging on about being British for three years now, but for 2007 the focus is sharpened. His chance to be PM has finally arrived, but history conspires against him by throwing up the 300 year annivesary of The Union when the English are already hesitant about having a Scot in charge of the shop.

Brown took a three prong media offensive. A speech to the Fabian Society (president Ed Balls {Brown Bumchum}), a self penned article in The Telegraph and an interview with the new (English) editor of The Scotsman. 

The Scotsman had his usual style of bullyboy tactics – Scotland will lose the 125,000 financial services jobs it has. Oh please, has he never heard of globalisation. Whether an independent Scotland opts for a revived Scots pound or goes for the Euro, is that really going to stop Edinburgh’s financial elite dealing in English securities denominated in sterling? Oil is globally traded in US dollars, does that mean London doesn’t deal in oil?

 Worse, Brown suggests that independence would be a disaster because two and a half million Scots live in England. And, the point is? Well, the insinuation is that I’ll never be able to see my brother or my nephews again because they live in London. Oh, please! Unless England resurrects Hadrian’s Wall he’s talking crap. The soviets built the Berlin Wall, the Americans have bits of wall to conrol Mexican immigrants, the Israeli’s have walls to seperate the Palestinians, but Scotland and England are both European countries- part of a bigger Union. If Brown wants a wall, he’ll have to take England out of the European Union and into the gutter because there’s a whole bunch of human rights legislation that he’ll have to breach if he’s going to stop our family Christmas. We’re just have to be a bit grown up. Britons live in other countries across the world – USA, Spain, France, Australia – they live in different countries – there isn’t a problem.

Just remember it’s the English that want rid of the whining Scots as much as the other way aound. Collectively we can work this out, it’s just a shame that Gordon Brown will never get to be Prime Minister because he was born on the wrong side of an ancient boundary at an inopportune time. Sorry about that Gordon – but don’t let your personal ambition get in the way of my Freedom. 

Oh, remember, we could actually do with a new First Minister up here, someone with drive, determination, decent values, vision and an international reputation. So once you’ve got over your Britishness posturing, Gordon, you could come home and be a true patriot. 

McGellie x

Countdown to the Year 300!

On 1st May 1707 the Act of Union was celebrated in England but in Scotland the public did not celebrate. 300 years later some of us would like to repeal this act. We love the English but just don’t want to be part of their wars or harbour their nuclear weapons. This Blog aims for a partisan view with a sense of humour (and non US spelling!) in the countdown to May 2007