The suggestion of Murdo Fraser, the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Tories, that the United Kingdom should become a ‘federal’ state seems to have caused great concern to David Cameron, who has jumped to the defence of the Union. The Scottish Tories are supposed to be ‘too close’ to the SNP. If only we could believe that were true! Fraser’s federalism sounds pretty crass but at least it is better than the unthinking, dogmatic Unionism one sees in Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
So many Tories in England are opposed to the Union because they are possessed of a ‘coarse, narrow nationalism’ (as David Cameron said today) that rests on a dislike of the Scots and a ‘little England’ mentality. Unfortunately, that ‘nationalistic’ agenda also prevents them forming an alliance with anyone else, non-English, who opposes the Union. None of this foolishness would exist if only opposition to the Union were on constitutional, rather than quasi-nationalistic grounds. The intrusion of nationalism always gives so much ammunition to Unionists, who cannot after all defend a Union that, on any reading of history, was formed without the consent of the people with no other purpose than to prevent a Stuart succession north of the border – so the Unionists are forced to resort to ad hominem attacks on those opposed to the Union, which sadly is not always a difficult task to accomplish.
On a related note, all parties now seem united on the issue of removing the infamous third verse, with its reference to Marshal Wade and rebellious Scots, from the national anthem. What most have failed to realise is that the words of the first verse were stolen from the Jacobites, and are first recorded on a Jacobite glass discovered at Oxburgh Hall.
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December 10, 2007 at 11:08 pm
“What most have failed to realise is that the words of the first verse were stolen from the Jacobites, and are first recorded on a Jacobite glass discovered at Oxburgh Hall.” – REALLY?! Well, I never!