|
| |
|
|
|
CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November
1926)
"Promoting all that is best in Scottish
Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland."
Content of the Flag in the Wind Web Site is the copyright of the Scots
Independent Newspaper.
[
Issue 474 - 3rd July 2009 ] |
 Compiled by Mark Hirst |
Lots of great information to
read and enjoy under our
Features Section:
Scots
Language | Scottish Food |
Dates in History |
Scot Wit and lots more
Imperialist monarchies have no place
in forward-looking Scotland
10
years have passed since the Scottish Parliament which was adjourned
in 1707 was reconvened. I remember the official state opening of
Parliament on the 1st of July 1999, not least because I
was actually inside the packed General Assembly building that acted
as the forum for Scotland’s first parliament in almost 300 years.
Sitting a few seats along from me was Sean Connery and his wife and
around me various dignitaries and relatives of the newly elected
MSPs.
This
official state opening was to be very different from the traditional
formality experienced by London MPs, but all the same the monarch
was to be present as “head of state”.
10
years on and the Queen has once more travelled north to what turned
out to be a largely low key event. All the same what appears like
mass hysteria broke out in various sections of the medjah
howled their disapproval that almost 50 MSPs, of all parties failed
to turn up for the event. The Times (of London, don’t you know) went
completely overboard with articles highlighting the “lamentable”
absence of MSPs with Magnus Linklater, Mike Wade, Charlene Sweeney
and Labour’s Angus McLeod all writing almost identical pieces. The
arch-Tory opinionist Alan Cochrane also waded in suggesting Mrs
Windsor, formerly Mrs Saxe-Coburg Gotha, should repeal the Scotland
Act as punishment. Cochrane has somewhat of a reputation for taking
any opportunity to knock the aforementioned MSPs and some of them
get unduly hot under the collar at his often bizarre observations. I
have always been a little more relaxed, even when on occasion he has
had a pop at me and consol myself in the knowledge that with a
readership of just 17,000 in Scotland, there are likely lavvy doors
on Calton Hill with a bigger readership than the Daily Telegraph.
More
substantively however is the implication that these MSPs were in
some way involved in an unofficial protest directed at Queen
Elizabeth II of England. If only that were true, but only a few are
known to be overt republicans and indeed some MSPs who attended the
event have previously stated their support for a republic, so the
rather OTT reaction from the usual establishment publications
doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny.
One
positive aspect is that the issue will focus some well needed
attention on the future role of QE2E once Scotland finally move
towards independence. The position of the SNP over the decades has
remained largely consistent and a general consensus has emerged in
the past 15 years that the issue should be placed on the back burner
until independence is fully secured. As a republican all that is
fine, if the expectation is that we will move towards embracing a
democratically elected and accountable head of state within a
reasonable time of winning back our independence. How can we
possibly be fully independent if we retain as head of state the very
embodiment and institution from which we seek our freedom? The First
Minister has suggested Scotland would return to its post 1707
position, with England and Scotland sharing a monarch and retaining
the social bonds that he implies existed in the intervening 104
years between the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and the Act of Union.
It is not a model however that stands up to close scrutiny. Even in
1707 as the Treaty was being debated in the last Scottish Parliament
the “benefits” of a united Crown were not apparent to the primary
Scottish decision-makers of the day. Lord Belhaven remarked: “All of
our affairs since the Union of Crowns have been managed with the
advice of English Ministers. This means that we have appeared more
like a conquered nation rather than a free and independent people.”
The
debate however is in essence not one about whether we should retain
the monarch or elect a president, it is surely about the kind of
independent Scotland we want to see emerge. Paul Scott in a
television interview during the 1980s stated the choice for
nationalists and for Scotland is really one about the type of
country and society we want to see evolve. Do we want a “little
England”? An independent Scotland but that retains all the values,
cultural references and worldly outlook that England has, albeit
with a kilt on, or do we want to forge a new nation, with a pride in
its past, but with an eye on a new future based on equality, justice
for all and not waded down by the imperialist and elitist baggage
which is epitomised in the institution which is the British
monarchy. There is a choice for us and some serious, less hysterical
debate needed on this issue.
BBC
polls suggests “Aunty” should change her name
The
BBC has made a great deal of its recent poll of Scottish public
opinion. Amongst the more interesting results was the question on
national identity, a question that has been repeated many times over
the decades and which demonstrates with each new result a decline in
a sense of “Britishness” in Scotland.
The
results are particularly in the regional breakdowns that emerged.
More people in Glasgow for instance, 34%, said they were Scottish
not British, the highest percentage in the country. The highest
number of respondents stating they were British not Scottish came in
the Highlands and Islands. The poll
also found that you were more
likely to feel Scottish than British or more Scottish than British
is you worked full time, although overall working class or
unemployed people felt generally more Scottish than those in the AB
social classes, where 15% of respondents regarded themselves as more
British than Scottish.
But
does any of this really matter? In some ways no, not hugely, but it
does indicate that Scotland is growing in confidence and shirked off
much of the national cringe that formerly beset the nation prior to
the 1960s. Although modern mainstream Scottish nationalism generally
plays down issues of national identity there is no doubt about its
importance in setting the tone to push the national debate forward.
Unionists, initially were
slow to capitalise on Scotland’s growing sense of national identity,
but soon they realised it had clear political advantages, so out
went the “British” Labour, Liberal and Conservative parties and in
came the Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal and Scottish
Conservatives… Cynical? Make your own minds up. All western style
politics is defined by the national identity from which it emerges.
Why should Scotland be any different from that? Perhaps one day the
other pillars of the British establishment will reflect that sense
of national identity more accurately, perhaps even the one that
commissioned this poll and reflect and promote an identity that has
clearly been embraced by the majority of Scots in a positive way.
Can you
circulate as widely as possible (and sign it of course)
- lets get a massive number of signatures and protect
the Scottish Football Team
Comment by Craig Brown -
Last year FIFA President
Mr Blatter made clear that the consequence of Scots,
Welsh and Irish participation would be an end to those
respective national sides, and crucially the independent
league set up in Scotland. So clearly that will have a
potentially huge impact economically as well as
seriously undermining football in Scotland as we know
it.
http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=297
|
Great Britain
Football team Raised by: Craig Brown on 17
December 2008 |
|
Calling on the
Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish
Government to consider what impact the creation
of a Great Britain football team at the Olympics
or other sporting event would have on the
promotion and support it and other public bodies
such as sportscotland provide for football as a
means of encouraging healthy lifestyle as well
as generating economic and social benefits. |

Read Christina McKelvie MSP's Weekly Diary
|
SYNOPSIS
"HAMMER BLOW TO KILMARNOCK"
Commenting on the announcement by Diageo that it
is to make a net jobs cut of up to 500 jobs
across Scotland with several hundred job losses
at its Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock and
plans to close the plant altogether by 2011
local SNP MSP Willie Coffey said:
“I have met the local management this morning
and made clear that this decision makes no sense
as they are making handsome and significant
profits. It’s like the corporate world gone mad.
“The
net job losses to Scotland, if this goes ahead
will be around 500 – but the impact in
Kilmarnock would mean 700 job losses in the
town.
“That will be a hammer blow to Kilmarnock if
they go through with this. Johnnie Walker has
been connected with the town since 1820 and it
makes no sense to cut that link.
“It will be a hammer blow to Kilmarnock if they
go through with this. Johnnie Walker has been
connected with the town since 1820 and it makes
no sense to cut that link.
“To abandon that link is scandalous. History
plays a big part in the appeal of whisky, but it
would appear that Diageo place no value on that
history. Focussing solely on the balance sheet
is not what built Johnnie Walker into a
world-leading brand.
"If Diageo don't feel that they can continue to
develop Johnnie Walker from its Kilmarnock base,
perhaps they should consider disposing of the
brand to a company that can.
“I am grateful that the First Minister has
spoken to the company at the earliest
opportunity today.
“I can pledge to the workforce at the plant and
the people of Kilmarnock that I will be working
hard to assist them at this time.”
TRIDENT’S FINANCIAL FOLLY
COMES INTO FOCUS
FORMER NATO GENERAL SECRETARY'S CALL TO AXE
TRIDENT
Newspaper reports on
Monday have brought the financial
folly of replacing the current Trident system
into focus with even the former
secretary-general of NATO – Lord George
Robertson – co-authoring a report calling for
the re-placement system to be scrapped.
The
report in the Financial Times details how Lord
Robertson has co-authored a report along with
former LibDem leader Lord Paddy Ashdown and Lord
Guthrie – former chief of the defence staff.
In addition the Daily Mail also reports that
plans are being drawn up by the government in
Westminster to scrap the Trident replacement,
and Scotland’s Cardinal Keith O’Brien has penned
an article for the Times highlighting the
immorality of nuclear weapons.
Bill Kidd MSP, an active campaigner against
Trident, said:
"To dump a 'son of Trident' on Scotland would be
an act of immense irresponsibility -
particularly when Westminster parties are
planning cuts in Scottish public spending.
“And it is not just former defence chiefs like
Lord Guthrie who think the UK Government is
wrong to waste tens of billions replacing
Trident. It is a view shared by governments
around the world, the people of Scotland and the
Scottish Parliament.
"Civil society, trade unions, religious
organisations and the Scottish Government are
working together to keep a new generation of
Trident missiles out of Scotland, and today’s
reports reinforce that argument."
|
|