There is a great Scottish phrase that springs to mind when one studies the comments of Scotlands First Minister on the latest proposals for more devolution. That phrase is: he/she/they would rather have the grievance. This means that the complainant does not, despite what they say, want their gripe dealt with. They enjoy complaining too much and would rather have the grievance than any resolution. It was in this spirit that Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the unveiling of substantial new powers on taxation and welfare for the Scottish parliament yesterday. Actually, no, she didnt welcome it. Of course she didnt. She attacked it and accused the Westminster parties of betrayal. Ah, the betrayal narrative on which so much narrow nationalism rests. Apparently, the Westminster parties have watered down the Smith Commission (although they havent) because any Scottish government adjusting benefits will need to, yknow, talk to the government in the UK about any changes. Such discussions are what happens in any federal set-up in a country that has not voted to split itself apart. No, this is a veto, says Sturgeon. Disgrace, shout the Nationalists, who lost the referendum (did I mention that?). This, they say, is a betrayal of the sacred Vow that was issued by the Unionist parties just days before the referendum. The vow, if you actually bother to read it, promised what the Unionist parties had been offering for ages. And it is now being delivered. But then, these are, of course, Unionist lies What is sad is that this chivvying rather have the grievance approach – emphasising division and refusing to work in good faith – used to be endorsed by only about a quarter to a third of the Scottish voting population. Now, after the referendum, the virus seems to be spreading. The Nats are miles in front of the other parties. All this as the UK cuts up its tax system and redesigns the United Kingdom to accommodate more powers (without justice for England). And that is after the Scots rejected independence by a solid majority. One can understand the Nationalist determination to change the subject though. I suppose that anything is preferable to talking about the oil price, which if you remember the SNP said would be standing at $113 a barrel. It recently went below $50 a barrel and an independent Scotland would be contemplating a massive black hole. But the latest row on more powers is a reminder that the SNP only has one aim. It exists to destroy the United Kingdom, and having failed by taking the direct route (a referendum on separation) it now seeks to engineer such an outcome by fostering grievance and winding-up English voters (see Sturgeons disgraceful declaration that her party will prop up a future UK government that does not have a majority of seats in England.) The Nats want maximum chaos. The truth is that they are much more interested in breaking up the UK than they are in using the powers the Scottish parliament already has to effect meaningful change in the life prospects of the poorest. Since 1999 the Scottish parliament has had full control over all manner of areas, including the NHS in Scotland (which has always been a separate service since it was established in the 1940s) and education. If the Scottish governments record on health is pretty lame its record on education is pitiful. In England the coalition has continued what was started by Blair and Adonis, which meant raising standards in the schools that millions of pupils attend, liberating them from the dead-hand of LEA control and making huge strides in attainment in a city such as London. Meanwhile, on schools the nationalist parts of the Scottish political class has done the square root of not very much, all the while demanding more powers, congratulating itself on its moral superiority complex and letting down pupils. Thats what I call betrayal. telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/SNP/11364492/The-SNP-is-only-interested-in-fostering-grievance-and-destroying-the-UK.html
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 09:22:59 +0000
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