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| 22-12-2006 PRO'S & CON'S OF UNIONISM PART 2 |
| Who is for the Act of Union and who is against it? Well Gordon Brown the Chancellor is pro Britain and wants to retain the Union . Many people in Scotland were annoyed at Brown for his statement about the best soccer goal he had ever seen was when ‘Gazza' scored for England against Scotland . If you want to enrage the Scots just show favour to an English team. Many people believed that Brown was trying to become a bit more popular in England . In the past, the English never thought twice about the power and success of Scots in London ; it was the visible sign of a successful British Union. Now, because of asymmetric devolution and the unfair funding and voting rights that go with it. The English people increasingly resent the predominance of Scots in English public life. Their more vocal loudmouths now speak of being run by a ‘Scottish Raj'. |  |
Brown has shot himself in the foot again by issuing a new £2 coin next year to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland . |
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With all the controversy, going on now it irritated many people that Brown was attempting to make the country feel more ‘British'. In a statement issued by him, he said, “the Queen had approved his recommendation that a coin be issued to mark the unification of England and Scotland into Great Britain in 1707”. Instead of celebration, the air is thick with talk of divorce on both sides of the border. What was put together in 1707 might soon be about to come apart. It has not yet dawned on the rest of the world that, in the foreseeable future, there might not be a United Kingdom . The Scots have periodically flirted with independence. In the past, when polls north of the border showed growing support for a separate Scotland , the English were distressed and powerful voices on both sides of the border were marshalled to keep the Union intact. |
This time it is different: Scottish Nationalism is on the rise once more and this time the English are inclined to say: “Go if you want to”. Indeed, one poll last weekend showed that support for Scottish independence is even greater between the English than it is among the Scots. Thus do both nationalities conspire to kill the United Kingdom and with it the very concept of being British. So what about the other side of the coin in the Union debate? The Nationalists |
Alex Salmond head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) definitely wants an end to a Union he believes discriminates against his country. In a recent poll, the SNP is pulling ahead of their rivals, and with just six months to go until the Holyrood elections, the party has established a four-point lead, over Labour. If Salmond becomes First Minister, he has pledged to introduce a bill for an independence referendum within 100 days of taking up office. The poll is the first major test of public opinion in Scotland since Tony Blair incensed many within his own party over his support for Israel during the conflict in Lebanon . Many Nationalists believe that the Labour party are now scaremongering with the electorate, and highlighting issues that have no basis in fact. Alex Salmond has been quoted as saying, “When I come to power I will govern with a hard head and a soft heart". |
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He further quoted;: "We are delighted with the progress we have made but we are taking nothing for granted. There are six months to go to the election and you don't win elections by winning opinion polls." A Labour party spokesman said: "The nationalists have been ahead before in these types of polls at this time in the electoral cycle and every time they have gone on to lose, because when people are given the choice at the election, voters recognise the one thing an SNP victory is certain to deliver is independence. "The fact remains, the SNP's plans for independence would damage the Scottish economy and halt Labour's record investment in schools, hospitals and tough action on anti-social behaviour." |
Correspondence to the Editor at Crann Tara |
Next report in two weeks time.
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