The Scottish Government

Labour has its head in the sand about the perception of Scotland from the rest of the UK - they think we are all one big happy family which is absolutely ridiculous. There is a massive difference between Scottish and English people in both cultures and views. We are separate countrys, even without independence but Im a great activist for independence and I think it is only a matter of time before this happens.

One thing that really annoyed me recently was the way Alex Salmond was laughed down in the UK Parliament for expressing his views, and this is becoming an increasing occurence when Scottish ministers speak. We are treated as second class citizens.

Just look at this video when Jeremy Paxman interviewed Alex Salmond

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UWeG0tQprzs

Is it just me or is this not a perfect example of how we are looked down upon? does anyone else agree?

I note that this "national conversation" has been going on this blog for over two weeks and we have just staggered to contribution No. 1444.

Given that many people have made multiple contributions, it is unlikely that even 1000 actual Scots have bothered to take part. And since that
there are probably more than a million adults in Scotland with access to the internet,(conservative estimate)this is a pathetic response and tells me, at least, that, not only is independence not wanted, Mr Salmond's conversation is not wanted either...

It's a waste of public money and time.. just like a referendum would be...

Chris (1439) says "We already had a vote on whether we wanted independence".

I'm sorry, Chris, but, if you genuinely believe that, I have to tell you that you are suffering from a delusion. We have NEVER had such a vote. The only thing which could possibly count as "a vote on whether we want independence" is a referendum, in which every adult in Scotland has a vote, on a simple, straightforward question about Scotland being independent. Statement of historical fact, there has never been any such referendum.

It is true that for about 80 years now all men and women over the age of 21 have been able to vote in elections. But elections are NOT a vote on "whether we want independence". In an election, you are choosing between political parties. Political parties have policies on loads of different things, and people decide which party gets their vote for all sorts of different reasons. For instance, the SNP has a policy of not having trams in Edinburgh. If I lived in Edinburgh, I certainly wouldn't consider voting for them, although I do support one of their other policies, namely independence. Also, in an election, you are voting for a PERSON. You are making a choice between aspiring politicians. Voters can be influenced in their choices by whether they like this particular individual or not, sometimes, believe it or not, they can even be influenced by whether they _fancy_ this particular individual or not. So neither a party political election nor a choice between ambitious politicians can possibly be "a vote on whether we want independence".

Chris also says "Another referendum on independence is just yet another waste of time and money" - sorry, Chris, yet again you are revealing your sad lack of knowledge of history. There can't be "ANOTHER" referendum on independence, because there has never been one. If you are thinking of the referendum ten years ago on setting up a Scottish Parliament, Tony Blair's government deliberately framed the question in that referendum so that there was no "independence" option. I know people who are in favour of independence and who voted "no" to setting up a devolved parliament in that referendum (because they thought it didn't go far enough and was just a trick by Tony Blair), and people who are in favour of independence who voted "yes" in that referendum (because they thought at least it was a step in the right direction). Since people who are in favour of independence voted both ways in that referendum, the result of that referendum is meaningless on the question of independence. The result of that referendum was a decisive victory for having a Scottish Parliament, but it did NOT settle the question whether this should be the parliament of a sovereign and independent country.

1407. Gabrielle H - Aberdeen

Gabrielle H you referred me to one of your earlier postings but it was to your remark about BBC Scotland where you thought they “may be a little against independence”.
I found an interesting article in Fridays Times within the Media section.
It described a deal that took place between John Birt and the leader of New Labour named T Blair and the present Labour Culture Secetary. The deal was to stifle completely a Scottish 6pm News. Apparently J. Birt feared that should Scotland have such control over the broadcast of International & Scottish News then this would lead to the break up of the BBC.
Of course T Blair must have been astounded at his good luck in having a so called unbiased public service broadcaster arrange to scupper any hope that BBC Scotland’s editorial independence could have surfaced.
So Gabrielle H, once again a Labour ‘Scottish’ politician sold the Scots down the river and that magnificently truthful and unbiased tax funded BBC lived up to its remit.
I am extremely interested in how this information lifted from J Birts book will play. I hope that it will raise questions. Perhaps that other great Labour unionist ‘British’ politician G Brown will not find it a problem to side step. I mean, why would T Blair mention it to him. It had no relevance to his remit looking after the nations spending. Surely T Blair did not tell G Brown everything, or perhaps he did mention it but it just slipped from his memory.

1408. Ian Ross - Glasgow

I refer you to the article that I have mentioned above and also acknowledge your comments re the attack on Paxman. When you were working within the system, was that other great Labour politician Neil Kinnock not in charge of enquiries into corruption or something similar re audited accounts that were never signed of and did that also result in nothing other than the whistle blower being crucified??
I hope that the senario you fear re the SNP and the potential campfollowers never comes to pass but I would hope that the journalists who are not compromised by their own agendas would root through the friends of friends, the nepotism, the contracts and perform without fear or favour.
I personally favour the continuing potential of the internet as the best and least corruptible source for research leading to unbiased publication. Well at least as unbiased as the BBC.

Scotias'banner of freedom shall ne'er be unfurled until the last central belt Labour MP has been choked to death by the last copy of the Daily Record

I just returned from a business trip in Slovenia. For years this small country lived under the oppressive rule from its larger neighbour. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, they quickly declared their peaceful independence from Yugoslavia. Since this event, this nation has been steadily transforming itself with massive investment in technical communication and civil engineering infrastructure as well as promoting a multicultural,flexible workforce. In short, this is a country that is brimming with confidence since independence. It's time to wake up Scotland. Drop the cringe, be confident in our abilities/ambitions and join our rightful place among the nations of the world. If not, we will get left behind.

Stevie, I think I am right in saying that not so very long ago some senior Labour MP likened the SNP to Nazis? Then tried to weedle their way out of it?
The good thing is, we shall have independence and no amount of mudslinging and use of selective memory from the anti-Scottish will change that.Phenomenal!

We already had a vote on whether we wanted independence and we voted no. Like the majority of other people in Scotland, I want to remain part of the UK. Another referendum on independence is just yet another waste of time and money. The Scottish Parliament has yet to prove itself of any added value, other than to help fill the news slots of the scottish media and provide a gravy train for the MSPs.

[1433] What is clear is that regrettably there are always some who will become distracted by those in the media who are less than objective, and sometimes blatantly negative, in their commentary. I do not think one could rationally claim that encouraging people to be constructive, and hopefully positive, is an attempt to drive the agenda. Personally I am convinced that the greater number of Scots who can constructively contribute to this conversation, irrespective of their political party affiliations (if any), the better the outcome is likely to be for all Scots. This opinion may be viewed as idealistic, as may be the belief that everyone can bring something constructive to this 'debate', but it is difficult not to conclude that those who refuse to make constructive contributions have a personal agenda that is destructive in its intent. Hopefully this concern has no foundation with regard to those contributing to this particular 'conversation' and I look forward to more constructive comment (apparently also invited by at least one other via 1434).

I was born and brought up as a labour supporter and voted for them right up until 1997. I have voted SNP ever since then however because I was totally disheartened by the small mindedness and lack of ambition and vision displayed by the labour party in Scotland. The sight of Jack McConnell being entirely subservient to Westminster was a total sickener.

In 1997, there was a great air of excitement about the country that finally we were going to get some real change after 18 years of imposed rule by the Conservatives. What a wasted opportunity the last 10 years have been!!

There is however, an excitement in Scottish politics once more thanks to the SNP's actions since May. Long may it continue.

Even if we dont manage to gain Independence in the 'near' future, I think that the present executive is operating much more in Scotland's interests generally. It appears, to me at least, that the parties are having to cooperate through persuasion on new initiatives. I think this can only be good for Scotland.

Even if you dont like Alex Salmond, we at least know that he does not have a conflict of interest from the point of view we know that he has Scotland's interest at heart and will not be a Westminster lapdog.

What I dont want to see however, is this conversation getting bogged down by trivial point scoring and parochialism. Surely it is not a case of Scotland v England, but of positive attitudes and looking and planning for the future?