Sunday 12 August 2012

SNP get the establishment treatment

At this time of year the BBC establishment migrates North to Edinburgh for the festival and on Saturday morning did a demolition job on the SNP. The panel was the usual pro Union group of journos, businessmen and anti SNP MPs. So the whole discussion was loade against the SNP. This is exactly the treatment   UKIP will get if it ever gets to a referendum. Alex Salmond has already chosen his referendum date, the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn, 24th June 2014  where Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II and thus established Scotland as an independent country approved by the Pope.

It is a testament to Alex Salmond's political and organisational skills that has has brought the SNP so close to attaining its goal of an independent Scotland. Its what of course UKIP aspires to but with Farage as leader that day will never see a morning. Alex stayed in his country, resigned his seat at Westminster. Would Farage do likewise? Not a hope! He is owned body and soul by the EU.

There was another good BBC programme that day on the success of local banks here and in Sweden and Germany. Its a basic tenet of good banking to know who you are lending to and for what the money will be used. That is why local; banks have such a low rate of bad loans. The big banks are only interested in selling, or more accurately mis-selling their overpriced products. All decisions are centralised in London where Bob Diamond and his ilk reign supreme. Is it any wonder UK banking is such a mess.

5 comments:

Edward Spalton said...

The SNP is not campaigning for independence but for "independence in Europe" which is no independence at all, particularly for the smaller countries whose weighted vote is considerably reduced by the Lisbon treaty.

There is an excellent precis of the situation by Dr Anthony Coughlan of the Irish national Platform in our CIB (Campaign for an Independent Britain) Booklet "A House Divided".

The fate of Slovakia should be a lesson. This country, of about the same population as Scotland, kept all the rules of the euro currency. Yet it has been compelled to join in the euro bail out to pay for far richer countries which broke the rules. There was a brief political rebellion for a few days but it was soon put down. The Slovaks will have to put in the equivalent of 300 hours work apiece to pay for the first instalment.

I can see the attraction of getting out from under the present corrupt Westminster dispensation. The whole country is fed up with it, not just Scotland. But Mr Salmond is only offering to replace the Westminster Europhiles with the Holyrood set. Of course, the nominally Unionist parties are not able to call his bluff because they are happy euro-troughers too.

I was recently discussing this with a moderate Irish nationalist. He pointed out to me that every would-be dominant European power has tried to weaken or break up the UK and the EU was no different. As I have been saying this for about 15 years, it was good to have my view independently confirmed from a different angle.

It was that well-known European integrationist Heinrich Himmler who said "We must foster as many small nations and groups as we can".

The Welsh, Scottish, Cornish and English nationalists and separatists are "useful idiots" in the process.

"Asymetric" (i.e. unfair) devolution has been very successful in generating ill will between people in the UK. That was its intention from the start.



Eric Edmond said...

Very interesting Mr Spalton. I agree with you re Alex's EU obsession. Once independent I hope Scotland will turn into another Switzerland or Norway, both real democracies. A UK break up would also benefit some English regions. I worked with many senior civil servants who never ventured North of Watford but ruled the whole UK from Virginia Water.

Edward Spalton said...

Eric, (If I may be so familiar)

I think the EU has been very successful in manipulating the evolution/independence situation to its advantage - with the assistance of its little helpers in the British political class.

I do not think it is in the interest of the defence of any of the inhabitants of these islands for the UK to be broken up.

Eric Edmond said...

Mr Spalton, Eric is fine. We just have to agree to disagree on this one. The guarantor of our independence is I regret the USA. Not ideal but preferable to a motley crew of squabbling mid Europeans.

Sorry about my delay in replying. I was in France interpreting my wife's wishes to the French artisan class.

Eric Edmond said...

Mr Spalton, Eric is fine. We just have to agree to disagree on this one. The guarantor of our independence is I regret the USA. Not ideal but preferable to a motley crew of squabbling mid Europeans.

Sorry about my delay in replying. I was in France interpreting my wife's wishes to the French artisan class.