Sunday, April 22, 2007

Do We Really Want Independence

Scotland on Sunday this morning says. "The SNP leader accused Labour of "attacking Scotland and Scottish self-confidence", claiming Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Jack McConnell were guilty of falling "out of touch" with a new mood of can-do optimism in the country." This whole election is degenerating into a debate about independence despite the fact that a poll in SOS by YouGov which says only 26% of people want independence.

Of course it's easy to see why. The SNP are the only credible opposition and the voters want to bash Blair, Joke, Broon and Labour - not necessarily in that order. The Conservatives and Lib Dems have between them about the same support as Labour according to the poll - that leaves 11% wanting the SSP, Tommy or the Greens, with a few undecided.

Given the level of animosity towards the Nu-Lab experiment it's unsurprising that they can't get their message across about the real costs of independence. The most worrying thing for Labour is the level of personal capital Gordo is investing in this campaign - he was in Edinburgh campaigning with the Joker on Saturday. This will severely damage his credibility across the whole of the UK if it goes as wrong for Labour as it looks like it will. On Iain Dale's blog yesterday he reports about campaigning in Norfolk and being told that no way do people want a Scottish MP as Prime Minister. Inevitably there were posters on his site complaining about anti-Scottish feeling amongst the English. This is clearly tripe. With the flag of independence being steadily run up the flagpole by the SNP, it's no wonder that there’s this type of feeling amongst a significant swathe of the electorate down south. I do believe I've heard, on occasions, people in Scotland complaining about being governed from London.

If Joke and Co. had done a better job of being in power, then despite the war, Trident and other negative aspects of the Bliar boys, they would still be electable, along, of course, with their Lib Dem cronies.....now what's the name of their leader - Steven Nicholson?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read the comments section of the Scotsman quite often and there is a lot of anti-english rant there and it does concern me.

I have done a lot of research on the Barnett formula because of the SNP and have only just realised how much money is sent to Wales, Northern Ireland (essential for obvious reasons) and Scotland.

There is increasing resentment in England about this and the West Midlothian problem.Both problems need to be addressed and urgently. If not it will split the union and Wales plus N.I can go their own way to.

Fitaloon said...

I've said just about the same thing on my blog but from a slightly different angle. I have long thought that the level of SNP vote is more about getting rid of Labour and their cronies rather than Independence.
I see a lot of people voting SNP from all parties in Scotland just to get rid of Labour, but then not supporting their referendum for Independence. What happens after that I'm not sure but may depend upon what has happened in the rest of the UK in the meantime.