The ‘old’ battlefield – Culloden!

The dirty tricks in the campaign against the Scots voting for Independence is ramping up rapidly as expected. We are now in the exciting phase of scaremongering– the initial  battle segment of simply ‘pouring scorn’ on the idea and concept of a separate existence ended finally when the Scots published a comprehensive document outlining their plans (a 670 page so called ‘blueprint for independence’!) – it has taken over two months for the UK Government to read it and realise that the Scottish National Party’s YES crusade is credible!

The first sword thrust was Chancellor George Osborne’s claim last week that the UK’s Bank of England and the UK’s sterling currency somehow ‘belonged’ to England alone. He said HE would STOP and Independent Scotland from using the pound – totally ignoring that this is a ‘joint asset’ of the Union, so in fact is owned by England, Scotland, Wales, & NI!

The Labour and LibDems also jumped in to give a good kicking to the Scots on that one – so what then is their vested interest? Well, for Labour it is that some forty (15%) of their MPs in the Commons are sent there by Scotland – losing that kind of support would jeopardise winning future elections (currently the Tories have 47 more Commons MPs than Labour). The LibDems have some ten (20%) of their MPs elected in Scotland, and while they are unlikely to keep those seats at the next election, they live in hope! [in the dozen or so elections during this parliament the LibDem vote has dropped dramatically – including most recently a 17% drop with lost deposit in Manchester].

The latest lance thrust into the Scots’ side is the attempt to crack the ice under their feet regarding Scotland continuing with membership of the European Union, if they dare to vote for independence. Quite why the Scots would want to escape from the yoke of the English and yet to remain under the control of Brussels’ bureaucrats, is a bit mind-blowing – particularly when the English themselves are increasingly desperate to be allowed a vote on the UK leaving the EU forthwith! The UK Government hierarchy are adamant that an Independent Scotland would NOT be automatically allowed in. They seem to have enlisted support from the outgoing President of the EU who has said it would be difficult if not impossible! Does he have any vested interests? Well, apart from trying to keep mates in the UK Government sweet for obvious reasons, he is looking over his shoulder at other counties who are facing demands for very acrimonious section breakaways – where major crisis’s could result for the EU!

This one is a bit of an unsolved conundrum to us normal mortals though! The UK, consisting of England Scotland, Wales, NI, is a member of the EU – fact. The claim therefore is that ‘individually’ they are not (each is dependent on the other?), so an Independent Scotland would have to reapply (and possibly get ‘blackballed’ according to Europe’s President Barroso ). Logic surely dictates then that a 3 country, three quarter sized, UK is equally a ‘new country’ so a reapplication would ALSO apply? Certainly new circumstances apply and revenues from North Sea oil & gas would NOT be a continuing UK asset and would represent a dramatic drop in sterling and economic stability if Scotland doesn’t continue to use the Pound currency.

No need then for a UK referendum on staying in the European Union, we will need one on reapplying don’t we if the Scots go for Independence?

Predictably, Alex Salmond, Scotland Assembly First Minister and SNP Leader denigrates the attempted bullying and is mounting a gallant defence against the English onslaught: he is even counter-attacking about the risks to the three star UK if it tries to unhinge Scotland’s economic prospects.

The last big battle which finally killed off Scottish sovereignty occurred at Culloden in 1746. The Scots’ army had marched cross country some 15 miles overnight to attack the English army, but got lost in the fog & dark, abandoned and had to return to their camp as a much depleted force – absolutely knackered & without sleep. When the English appeared in the morning ready for battle, the over brave Scots, instead of sensibly retreating to fight another day, took them on and fought to the death – and it was the death & massacre of some two thousand of them (all over in an hour though)!

[The English had of course employed other fierce Scotsmen imbedded in their superior army to ensure victory over their own countrymen!].

Is there going to be another Culloden in this latest battle by the Scots? Most likely, particularly as they don’t seem to have the stomach for the fight (and the English are already using Scottish forces as their prime onslaught for the NO camp).

What’s next then? Probably the scares that Scotland will not be allowed to be in NATO, if it votes for independence. The English are also going to try and frightened the Scots witless saying they will be utterly defenceless without support from the rest of the UK! This again will ignore that the existing  UK armed forces belong to Scotland as well! Anyway, who is going to attack them? Won’t be the English for a change!

Referendum date:       Thursday 18 September 2014

Question:                      “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

Voters:                     Resident in Scotland [British/Commonwealth/EU citizens]

All these ‘non-Scot’s get a say, but NONE of the true born Scots, forced to live in England by UK priorities, or work abroad, have any voice whatsoever – is that democracy?