should you stay or should you go?
Everyone, in their heart of hearts, probably appreciates that it’s going to be best for all parties if Scotland stays within the union, better in terms of finance, economics and culture. But, it’s an outcome that’s currently too close to call and I have to admit that, putting myself in a hypothetical Scottish-voting position, I’d be in two minds as well.
In an impassioned speech, Davey-Boy Cameron, stressed his family heritage and urged us all to ‘unite’. At last unionist politicians are waking up to the real danger of ignominious defeat and are trying to make up ground on the charismatic nationalist tub-thumper, Alex Salmond. Cameron’s plea however highlights why the Scots are so disenchanted with the current situation – it’s far from united and the divisions grow with each passing day. Politically, Scotland (and the north for that matter) has drifted far apart from their English neighbours, with their free-market capitalism at all costs approach. The Scots hold far more socially democratic and supportive values to heart and it’s not they who are leaving Britain, it’s Britain that’s leaving them. And it doesn’t help that, irrespective of his shameless name-play, the union case is being made by an upper class southern Eton schoolboy.
The fear campaign based upon lack of monetary union, rejection from the EU, fear of the future and one of envisaged impoverished irrelevance can only pale in comparison with the nationalists’ ‘expansive view of, an albeit, small open country in a larger Europe. And don’t forget that the union itself will face an –in/out of Europe’ referendum in only a few short years. Uh oh, were I a jock, I’d cast my vote for Mr Salmond.
