Wednesday, 14 November 2007
History repeating
Scotsman:
Alex Salmond has, for the first time, named a date by which he believes Scotland will be an independent country - 2017. The First Minister made the dramatic assertion on the eve of the SNP's first budget in government.
Er, not exactly the first time. Hands up if you're old enough to remember "Free by '93", the much-derided rallying call of the early 1990's?
Of course, now it's different, and personally I think Eck's wily enough to make it happen. Remember that he is pledged to hold a referendum before the end of this [Scottish] Parliament, probably late 2010 - and when you factor in another 3 years of mischief-making and the feelgood factor from winning the World Cup the previous summer, it may just be enough to put the Nats over the top...
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Don't worry, Peter Spence, one day we will be free of the whinging english. I'll be glad to no longer have to put up with their incessant moaning on this and many other topics, too.
The whinging bastards I thought of were the Nats, actually - given that Eck Salmond presumably anticipates being in office for the next 10 years up to 2017 to steer independence along...
In terms of their spin and deceit ("1,000 additional police officers" - not) and manipulation of the organs of government (re-branding to the "Scottish Government" and calling everyone a "Cabinet Secretary" when the legal names remain the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Ministers), the new Nat administration is showing it has supped from the New Labour cup. Just because Eck looks cuddlier and sounds couthier than Bliar doesn't mean he won't end up the same way.
In terms of their spin and deceit ("1,000 additional police officers" - not) and manipulation of the organs of government (re-branding to the "Scottish Government" and calling everyone a "Cabinet Secretary" when the legal names remain the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Ministers), the new Nat administration is showing it has supped from the New Labour cup. Just because Eck looks cuddlier and sounds couthier than Bliar doesn't mean he won't end up the same way.
93 wasn't the first time, either.
Thing is, the reason Eck's going to get his wish is the EU. And as long as we're in the EU, we can't be independent. I have no doubt that the Colleagues have been cosying up to Salmond over the last few years, telling him what he wants to hear, encouraging his dreams of power, all in the interest of undermining the UK (don't forget, the Scottish Parliament itself is simply an elected Regional Assembly).
And I guarantee they'll show a very different face once Scotland is "independent". Flush with "Scotland's oil", Alec? Three words: Common European Resource. You'll be hearing them a lot in your first few years as PM of "independent" Scotland.
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Thing is, the reason Eck's going to get his wish is the EU. And as long as we're in the EU, we can't be independent. I have no doubt that the Colleagues have been cosying up to Salmond over the last few years, telling him what he wants to hear, encouraging his dreams of power, all in the interest of undermining the UK (don't forget, the Scottish Parliament itself is simply an elected Regional Assembly).
And I guarantee they'll show a very different face once Scotland is "independent". Flush with "Scotland's oil", Alec? Three words: Common European Resource. You'll be hearing them a lot in your first few years as PM of "independent" Scotland.
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