Im officially neutral on the issue of Scottish independence. I a) am not Scottish, so I dont consider it to be up to me and b) have heard compelling arguments from both sides. I also identify most strongly with being British (although I live in England, I am mostly of Welsh and Irish ancestry), so if Great Britain disappears as a political reality, that does change things for me. If Im honest, I love being part of the same country as Scotland. But I must say, I find the way the Great and the Good of Britain are mobilising to get people to vote no to be rather obnoxious. Here we have an issue that has mobilised ordinary people on a massive scale; it has made politics common property again. The Yes campaign in particular has galvanised whole communities. Rather than take the medicine that this represents - that people are so fed up with this country, nearly half of them in one nation are prepared to leave it - and acknowledge their failings, the big hitters in our public sphere are content to post scare stories, wring their hands, and attend vigils for the union. A lot of them - Im thinking of Dan Snow in particular - are living proof of the fact that weve not left the nepotism and inequality of the early modern period behind; Britain is one big rotten borough, and many Scots are using this referendum as a chance to wash their hands of it all, and try something different. To be honest, I dont blame them. theguardian/politics/2014/sep/14/scottish-independence-queen-remark-welcomed-no-vote
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:34:58 +0000
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