On Monday of last week, Edinburgh saw Conservative party leader David Cameron make a speech on why he thought the Union of Britain was key in bettering the future of the country. He made clear the well known intentions of the SNP to make Scotland independent within ten years, and told of the growing English patriotism which, it could be argued, is largely in response to growing regional patriotism north and west of English borders. Cameron (who is known to be of Scottish descent) outlined that his party would make all efforts to preserve the Union as long as he was party leader, and that if elected PM he would ensure Scotland remained part of Britain.
The act of Union between our two countries has for three centuries ensured that these islands are recognised throughout the world as some of the wealthiest, economically stable and culturally richest around, and together nothing in modern times has benefited us more. We now live in an age where physical and/or genetic differences should no longer be an issue for bettering relationships in society. By allowing our primitive, pre-evolutionary, tribal instincts to define our modern day political views (whatever the topic), we are unequivocally erasing millions of years worth of human advancement in intelligence, and essentially succumbing to separatism. The need to define ones identity and to therefore have the ability to make decisions based on that identity is something that we all have to go through. Football, one of the most successful arena sports, which I might add often mimics that of a roman gladiatorial sport, is largely designed to feed tribal instincts among the population. Choose a team, wear the colours and unite with those who support the same as you, disapproving those who don’t. This is similar in politics and in international affairs, but generally speaking separatism is most commonly defined in modern times by three major things: Language, Religion and Culture.
The Scots are ultimately English speakers and are traditionally most likely to be Protestants or Catholics, but the small differences between our two cultures, like accent and diet, are some of the reasons why so many believe that we should not be united by union. The SNP are now promoting ‘Scottish Gaelic’ in their schools (which I do actually approve of for non-separatist reasons), and many are seemingly resorting to pre-union History to legitimise the idea of Scottish independence more and more. A prime example ,of this use of History to increase political gain, within the past two decades would be that of the 1995 film Braveheart, in which Australian director Mel Gibson portrays himself as a common Scot and the English as lying, pompous, thieving rapists who have forcibly taken the independence of Scotland. I must admit that the film did host some artistic content and at times made me think of my Scottish ancestry, in retrospect however I later discovered the film was largely historically inaccurate, and I now believe that it did more damage to the Anglo-Scottish alliance than anything else has within my generation. It made even me feel anti-English at the sight of a scared, vulnerable, heartbroken Gibson being disembowelled before a jeering crowd, and whatever the arguments of those who claim it was a non-biased film portraying simply the heritage of Scotland, it was clearly politically motivated.
Cultural identity today has never meant so much to so many people. With the continued dubbing down of our patriotic, Anglican, Royalist traditions, the closure of hundreds of long established post offices and local markets, and the promotion of celebrated multiculturalism increasingly on the lips of teachers and television journalists, people just don’t know where to turn. The Government has in recent years failed the British people in rekindling the countries identity, and despite the fact that half of Parliament may attribute their accents to the Scottish highlands, the Scots have had enough. But then again why blame them? Independence of Scotland would in theory mean that they could control their own borders, dictate their own laws, and celebrate their own cultural identity without restriction. Of course whether or not the left-wing SNP would be fond of such things should they ever gain Scottish independence is arguable. Even the Welsh have had enough; they have now decided that Wales is in fact NOT part of England at all, seemingly deeming the Statute of Rhuddlan as never having existed.
We now face in Britain a threat from sepratism which has never before been seen. It is so diverse and complex that our very survival as a United Kingdom depends on its defeat sooner rather than later. The increasingly anti-British sentiments of the SNP and Plaid Cymru, British terrorist and sepratist organisations, organised criminals, liberal government officials, far-left groups, and worst of all the European Union can be defeated, and division I assure you plays no part in it. The union of Britain and the Commonwealth has always been our strength. It helped us to protect our allies in the Great War, it helped us defeat the fascist hoards of Nazi-Germany in the 1930s, surely it can still help us now in these dark days of suspicion and militancy. Community spirit is something we have to re-earn as a people, if we want to see the local village Post Offices, local bobbies, local butchers and personal accountability which once existed in Britain, uniting as a country is what we must do.
The act of Union between our two countries has for three centuries ensured that these islands are recognised throughout the world as some of the wealthiest, economically stable and culturally richest around, and together nothing in modern times has benefited us more. We now live in an age where physical and/or genetic differences should no longer be an issue for bettering relationships in society. By allowing our primitive, pre-evolutionary, tribal instincts to define our modern day political views (whatever the topic), we are unequivocally erasing millions of years worth of human advancement in intelligence, and essentially succumbing to separatism. The need to define ones identity and to therefore have the ability to make decisions based on that identity is something that we all have to go through. Football, one of the most successful arena sports, which I might add often mimics that of a roman gladiatorial sport, is largely designed to feed tribal instincts among the population. Choose a team, wear the colours and unite with those who support the same as you, disapproving those who don’t. This is similar in politics and in international affairs, but generally speaking separatism is most commonly defined in modern times by three major things: Language, Religion and Culture.
The Scots are ultimately English speakers and are traditionally most likely to be Protestants or Catholics, but the small differences between our two cultures, like accent and diet, are some of the reasons why so many believe that we should not be united by union. The SNP are now promoting ‘Scottish Gaelic’ in their schools (which I do actually approve of for non-separatist reasons), and many are seemingly resorting to pre-union History to legitimise the idea of Scottish independence more and more. A prime example ,of this use of History to increase political gain, within the past two decades would be that of the 1995 film Braveheart, in which Australian director Mel Gibson portrays himself as a common Scot and the English as lying, pompous, thieving rapists who have forcibly taken the independence of Scotland. I must admit that the film did host some artistic content and at times made me think of my Scottish ancestry, in retrospect however I later discovered the film was largely historically inaccurate, and I now believe that it did more damage to the Anglo-Scottish alliance than anything else has within my generation. It made even me feel anti-English at the sight of a scared, vulnerable, heartbroken Gibson being disembowelled before a jeering crowd, and whatever the arguments of those who claim it was a non-biased film portraying simply the heritage of Scotland, it was clearly politically motivated.
Cultural identity today has never meant so much to so many people. With the continued dubbing down of our patriotic, Anglican, Royalist traditions, the closure of hundreds of long established post offices and local markets, and the promotion of celebrated multiculturalism increasingly on the lips of teachers and television journalists, people just don’t know where to turn. The Government has in recent years failed the British people in rekindling the countries identity, and despite the fact that half of Parliament may attribute their accents to the Scottish highlands, the Scots have had enough. But then again why blame them? Independence of Scotland would in theory mean that they could control their own borders, dictate their own laws, and celebrate their own cultural identity without restriction. Of course whether or not the left-wing SNP would be fond of such things should they ever gain Scottish independence is arguable. Even the Welsh have had enough; they have now decided that Wales is in fact NOT part of England at all, seemingly deeming the Statute of Rhuddlan as never having existed.
We now face in Britain a threat from sepratism which has never before been seen. It is so diverse and complex that our very survival as a United Kingdom depends on its defeat sooner rather than later. The increasingly anti-British sentiments of the SNP and Plaid Cymru, British terrorist and sepratist organisations, organised criminals, liberal government officials, far-left groups, and worst of all the European Union can be defeated, and division I assure you plays no part in it. The union of Britain and the Commonwealth has always been our strength. It helped us to protect our allies in the Great War, it helped us defeat the fascist hoards of Nazi-Germany in the 1930s, surely it can still help us now in these dark days of suspicion and militancy. Community spirit is something we have to re-earn as a people, if we want to see the local village Post Offices, local bobbies, local butchers and personal accountability which once existed in Britain, uniting as a country is what we must do.
I often wonder about the true motives of the SNP and of its party leader Alex Salmond. Of course the SNP wants to be in control of its own land as any political party does, but do its members really believe that the bettering of Scotland can start with its independence? Or are its members desires to seperate Scotland from the Union part of an all together more sinister struggle for power? I really do sympathise with the average Scot, the Scot whose common sense is telling him that nonsense rules dictated by an English government are being forced upon his country, and that independence promised by the SNP might provide a way out. Afterall, so long as people in England are subject to Labours laws on immigration, inheritence and trade, so is he, but surely there is a more...conservative way out…
(Picture: Leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond.)
1 comment:
"Even the Welsh have had enough; they have now decided that Wales is in fact NOT part of England at all, seemingly deeming the Statute of Rhuddlan as never having existed."
They have NOW decided Wales is not part of ENGLAND? Wales has never been part of England and Welsh people have never for once thought of it as such. Neither have the vast majority of English people.
The Laws in Wales Acts quite clearly define the two as seperate entities, hence the legal jusrisdiction of "England and Wales".
You should read the Statute of Rhyddlan and Laws in Wales Acts a little more carefully (if you've read them at all). They bring Wales into the Kingdom of England, but keep it quite seperate from England itself (the Kingdom of England being something that has not existed since the Anglo-Scot Union).
this has always been the case, and this has always been the view. it's not like the people of Wales have suddenly decided they're not part of England!
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