Sunday, October 28, 2007

Jocks don't want to be strapped

Full Scottish independence (funded by the Scots) may well be a necessary precursor for England's struggle to avoid the worst excesses of EU policy, since as a growing client state, the Scots will probably correctly reckon that like Ireland, they will do well to stay on the Brussels gravy train a while longer.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind's current attention to the matter of the over-representation of Scots with their gerrymandering collective of MPs at Westminster is long overdue, and perhaps another signal that the Tory party has at last noticed the futility of its fixation with the "Union" in the light of Modern Times - and especially as the latest Euro-nonsense is about to overtake us all anyway.

The reflection of electoral reality is a core tenet of TMP policy, and it is hard to imagine why any Scot could possibly complain - unless they fear that the loss of their cherished role for the Labour Party as useful reliable election fodder will cause the massive subsidies they currently enjoy from the English will be taken away. After many years of socialist rule at all levels, Scotland is now a basket-case "client economy" that relies on the state for majority of its employment, so they really only have themselves to thank.

Meanwhile, Glasgow MP and HoC Speaker, Michael Martin's inept performance in the "British" parliament has reached the point where even Labour MPs are embarrassed at his partisan behaviour and deference towards fellow Scots and fellow struggling parliamentary performer, our beloved leader Gordon Brown. If ever there was a perfect role for that rudely treated but honourable old buffer Sir Menzies Campbell, this should be it.

This episode has reminded us that it is generally unwise to trust the highest offices of state to those who actively revel in downmarket sobriquets such as "Gorbals Mick".

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