It is an all too common error to think of the likes of Alistair Carmichael as Scottish politicians. They are not. They are, first, last and always British politicians. And we know from long experience and abundant evidence just how detached from Scotlands politics British politicians are. It is no surprise, therefore, to find Alistair Carmichael scoffing in such contemptuous fashion at the very idea of a distinctive Scottish political culture. One suspects that Carmichael would be as dumbly unaware of Scotlands political culture as a London-based journalist even if he were not required to deny it on instructions from his Tory bosses. Note that term, political culture. Of course, nobody has suggested such a thing as homogeneous Scottish values. This is a straw man so ill-made that it collapses under the weight of its own ridiculousness. Were Carmichael not so utterly committed to sacrificing his intellect and his dignity to the British nationalist cause then he might just have realised that, quite apart from anything else, voting patterns in Scotland provide undeniable evidence of a political culture that is quite distinct from that of the rest of the UK. To say this is to make no claims to unique Scots values. I am pretty sure people in Scotland share certain values with people in other parts of the UK - and, for that matter, other parts of the world. Sharing values does not mean that we must necessarily share a parliament or a government. Doubtless Canadians and Americans have many values in common. Neither is about to allow itself to be governed by the other. It is not a matter of unique Scots values. It a matter of emphasis. A matter of priorities. It is about how theses values are expressed and the weight given to them in formulating policy. That is what is meant by a distinctive political culture. As Iain Macwhirter wrote in a recent article, This different political culture has led to a markedly different pattern of public provision, and an enduring commitment to universalism. We do not seek independence because we see ourselves as superior, in terms of values or anything else. We seek independence because we refuse to accept that we are inferior. We insist that we have the same right to a distinctive political culture as any other nation. We insist that we have a right to chose a government that reflects, not only the values of Scotlands people, but also our needs and our priorities. Perhaps even our hopes and aspirations. The sub-text of Carmichaels message is that we should be prepared to settle for less in the name of preserving the structures of power and privilege that he benefits from and represents. My question to him is simple. Why?
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 15:14:24 +0000
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