SNP whinging git on PM today
<rant>
Yet another example of pointless whinging from a Scots SNP pretend MP ( aka MSP - funded by the English) about the music the BBC is going to use for the world cup.
He manged as much sectarian muck raking as he could.
Of course he does make a good case for English independance - then we could get rid of his type - and save sheds loads of cash too.
I'm not personally in favour of English independance - favouring a more equal Union (ie end the current favouritism to Scotland in spending ). But I could be convinced.
Don't get me wrong I love Scotland and have lived there for 4 years and married a Scottish girl. But the under the surface racism against the English and England really winds you up.( Manifactured rage as this SNP Git was spouting are a perfect example - if it was Wales or Ireland with the same music he would have been quiet IMHO)
</rant>
7 comments:
I suspect the irritation is with the anti-English slant that is found in a small but vocal minority of Scots politicians. This SNP bloke was a case in point.
(David I deleted your first comment as it seemed to be identical to the second.)
Independance might come - but a better term would be divorce with all the negative implications. On the positive side we would never need to have a Socialist Govt in England ever again - which is tempting.
Really we all need to sort this out - the next Conservative UK govt should have a referendum on independance for all the home nations - on the understanding that the issue is dead for at least 50 years afterwards and that the old policy of favouring Scotland over poor English regions will stop if the union continues.
David,
This is my second rant - if you enjoyed this one then see what happened the last time I was North of the border and in possession of a copy of the Glasgow Herald (here).
I don't know, I'm Scottish but I would love it if England got its independence - it would save us the bother. Well after the SNP publish their bill to go before parliament repatriating North Sea Revenues to Scotland, then we'll see how a water-less, power-less England copes without the source of the revenue that is currently keeping the Treasury afloat!
Anonymous - If England gets Independance you get to keep Wales & Northern Ireland !
There's no doubt that North Sea oil and gas ( a significant part of which comes from English waters ) was the heart bypass machine that kept the UK alive during the 1980's whilst Mrs T carried out here open heart surgery. However, the big money has all been made - its decline from now on and much higher unit production costs.
I suspect that the major benefit to Scotland of independance would be forcing clyde side socialism to face reality. There is little incentive under the current bribary arrangements of (UK) treasurey spending.
David - going to give you a more thoughtful reply in a few days, probably as a new post.
David,
On the Union:
I think to day's telegraph puts thing well today -see article. especially:
"In terms of the political class, they(the Scots) are an over-represented and increasingly unaccountable minority whose job it is to raise taxes from the English to spend on the Scots. The English understand this and resent it."
I'm guessing your a Scots Nat - and in many ways I accept your right to secede from the Union. My argument is really with the fair weather unionists in Labour and the Lib Dems who think the current constitutional arrangement can stand. ( ie ignore the West Lothian question ).
Personally I'm in favour of the Union ( so we aren't on quite the same side ) - but it must be just. The current arrangement is clearly unjust and either we need to return to a single parliament or England must be given her own parliament. Nothing else will do. If that can't be achieved then I would support English independence.
I think two things have made the divorce of the Union more attractive to Scots:
1) The European Union.
2) North Sea Oil.
Remember the European Union is unstable and may collapse at any moment. It is certainly less stable than say the Soviet Union. If you base all your economic and defence future in that basket you may regret it in very short time.
North Sea Oil - the time to grab the money was 10 -15 years ago. That income stream will reduce in years to come. Also remember that if Scotland can secede from the Union then so could Shetland secede from Scotland - indeed they have a good case and if greed is to be the prime nationalist motivation then they will be well motivated.
There are no oil resources in English Waters - there are gas resources, but most oil resources lie off the coast of the NE of Scotland. This is a fallacy dreamt up by a lot of English commentators to lend legitimacy to the fact Scotland's oil (and huge fiscal surpluses throughout the 1980's) didn't benefit a Scotland that was almost in permanent recession throughout the 80's and for much of the 90's.
Secondly the revenue accrued does not so much depend on the AMOUNT of oil extracted, it depends on the prevailing oil price. There is less oil production from the Scottish sector of the north sea than in 1999. Oil revenue today is 7 times higher than it was in 1999. There is as much oil in the North Sea to be extracted, as has already come out. The high oil prices justify greater exploration (quite a lot off the Outer Hebrides at the minute)
Perhaps we should say Scotland's Oil=Thatcher's Dole Money. London has more probability of seceeding from the England than Shetland has from Scotland although I wouldn't be surprised if an English Government try to confer excessive largesse on them to stay in what remains of the UK, so England could get its tenticles on the remained of North Sea Oil.
Anonymous - you need to get out a map of the oil fields of the central north sea and see which bit of coast is closest to which field. I believe from the Fulmar and Auk fields and South East are all English Territorial waters. (This is a point that has been made before by others.) To simplify administration of offshore law Scottish law has prevailed - but that was a choice of the United Kingdom for convenience. Successor states would have to renegotiate.
London would do well as an independent state - Shetland would do well also. The difference is there are historic reasons for Shetland - which was sold to the Scottish crown - to consider a change of allegiance. Norway is almost as close and would look after them a lot better than a central belt dominated government ever would. (You see your not the only ones who can run of with resources.)
Also note the oil price goes in both directions. What tends to happen is petro-dominated governments increase spending at high oil prices and keep on spending in low - that's how Saudi Arabia got to be one of the worlds largest debtor nations.
But there's only one way to prove all this - and if the people of Scotland want independence they can have it. My argument is with the Scots Labour and Scots Lib Dems who have created an unstable constitutional arrangement.
It is also with SNP commentators -like the guy on the radio when this post went in - who stir up support for his party by creating issues where none exist - the BBC music for the World cup. (Which by the way England is in this year!)
Post a Comment