tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post2239252613476985337..comments2024-01-18T10:54:54.459+00:00Comments on Iain Macwhirter Now and Then: Will Scotland rise up against 'English' Tory rule?iain macwhirterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486911281896217461noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-1956493495747238302009-10-30T01:07:07.512+00:002009-10-30T01:07:07.512+00:00nice mention of bill spiers - when will we see his...nice mention of bill spiers - when will we see his like again?Alan Smarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08238599957331198637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-958956520467580252009-10-30T01:05:48.783+00:002009-10-30T01:05:48.783+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Alan Smarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08238599957331198637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-37303083390068672632009-10-11T10:17:11.519+01:002009-10-11T10:17:11.519+01:00The British establishment is institutionally Anglo...The British establishment is institutionally Anglophobic and England must be rid of it in order for England to survive.Stephen Gashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-17483813855651537682009-10-11T09:56:38.588+01:002009-10-11T09:56:38.588+01:00See Vaclav Klaus' views about Free Europe Cons...See Vaclav Klaus' views about Free Europe Constitution at www.FreeEurope.infoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-2730571778372853262009-10-10T19:55:17.748+01:002009-10-10T19:55:17.748+01:00I have always believed that the road to independen...I have always believed that the road to independence would be long, winding and with many stops and starts. I saw it as a gradual process inevitably leading eventually to a complete split but with two friendly nations and neighbours continuing to co-operate.<br /><br />Immediate, or revolutionary independence was never on the cards for my money. I suspect I may be rather like Tam Dalyell in that I believe that having taken the first steps, taking the last steps is inevitable.<br /><br />I'm surprised that Annabel Goldie hasn't managed to increase the popularity of the Tories in Scotland. She's certainly the only opposition leader who has grasped the idea of how to use minority government to her party's advantage. She also has the maturity, by and large, to ask sensible questions at FMQ. As a result she never gets the kind of battering at the hands of the First Minister that fisty cuffs Gray, or the hapless Tavish do.<br /><br />I think that the memory and hatred of Thatcher are deeply entrenched now in Scottish culture. There are grandads who sit little lads on tkeir knees and tell of the woman who closed all their factories and threw hundreds of thousands on to the dole and a life of poverty and misery, and paid for it all with Scottish oil. I know not one single person who likes her and although some don't actually hate her, as an example, the possiblilty of her being given a state funeral as recently discussed, was greeted by most with the call of... tomorrow please! Alex Salmond always loved her visits to Scotland. They improved his poll ratings hugely.<br /><br />One interesting factor of the Tories being in government in London will be that, in some respects the SNP and Labour, the only parties that really count in Scotland, will be on the same side, opposing them.<br /><br />It's all new territory and we have yet to see how that will work out. We could wish for a better leader of the Labour group to work together with the SNP to get the best deal for Scotland, but who knows, after Thursday's lamentable performance, we may soon get one.<br /><br />I read that Calman had been swept away by Cameron. He has said no constitutional change in his first term. But even if he agreed to a referendum, because he felt certain that he would win, I think that the only way to have legitimacy in Scotland would be to win lot more than 5 or 6 seats in the general election, despite what Frazer Nelson says. Let's face it, the SSP won that many seats in Scotland, but they didn't have a legitimate claim to form the government.<br /><br />But a great and thought provoking post again Iain. Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22403989.post-57618636081598320132009-10-10T15:25:49.637+01:002009-10-10T15:25:49.637+01:00Iain
not only has Scotland has changed in the las...Iain<br /><br />not only has Scotland has changed in the last twenty years but so has the United Kingdom.<br /><br />Unfortunately Cameron and his cohorts believe it is 1979 all over again. They are the ones who will march forward into the past and fight old battles it isn't rising up but defending what is yours from being taken away.<br /><br />winning at Westminster is not enough anymore and Cameron will learn that but only after he gets a Bloody noseNikostratoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06581441869560921339noreply@blogger.com