Friday 16 April 2010

The Scottish View

Much of the content spoken by the three unionist parties in tonight's debate was not relevant to Scotland. We are ignored. Is it any wonder when we have a Scottish Prime Minister, who insists upon calling Scotland 'Northern Britain' and also refuses to use the word England (much to the disgust of my English friends), that people don't warm to him? He does neither country any favours.

I expect anyone in these islands to feel proud of their heritage whether it be English, Scots, Irish or Welsh and I'm not forgetting those from other countries who have been here for many years and become part of one of these nations.

Nick Clegg, from my half-asleep viewing of the programme, was so pleased to gain a major platform for his policies and it showed. Just think if Alex Salmond hadn't been barred from these debates, along with UKIP and other parties, what great information the whole country would have received, along with having their eyes opened about what happening outside the Red and Blue unionist parties Westminster bubble.

For my non-Scottish readers here's a short video the BBC ran at teatime, which I watched before I had to gild the lilly for a night out on the green baize. (How the SNP managed to acquire the air time for this broadcast I'll never know. Could it be guilt at ignoring Scotland in debates about the UK?)

I will browse through the blogs tomorrow but one impressed me and that is this one. I just loved his style - 15 to 1 indeed!


13 comments:

William said...

I thought there was a Scottish one on Tuesday?

Clarinda said...

If Mr Clegg 'won' the debate as judged by more than half the viewers - how desperate must we be to see the back of the other two, as I presume the viewing public are not that easily swayed?

I understand that the Liberals can look forward to a small renaissance via the undecided of the electorate, Mr cameron will be on a charge to make up lost ground while Mr Brown will sink deeper into his volcanic gloom. Ashes to ashes for Labour?

Idle Pen Pusher said...

I think Cameron was a bit better than Clegg and much better than Brown.

I don't think Salmond should have been on the programme. He's not going to be PM and on the crime/health/education he'd have nothing useful to say as his party has no seats in areas where it's run by the HM Government as decided by the Westminster elections. It's messy, but that matches the constitution and given the constitutional arrangements, it makes sense.

It highlights the need for those areas to be devolved in England, too, so they're not even discussed at Westminster level.

subrosa said...

Why should Scotland not be included in Uk debates William?

subrosa said...

The libdems are partying in the streets of Fife today I've heard Clarinda. ;)

Demetrius said...

I skipped it and put on a saved programme on Beautiful Minds intead. It was James Lovelock telling us we were all doomed in the nicest possible way.

subrosa said...

Neither is Clegg going to be PM IPP.

If we insist that only tories or labour can run this country then that's not democracy for me.

Many serious issues concerning Scotland are under Westminster control. We need representation there.

William said...

Why should Salmond be involved in a UK debate when his party is only contesting, what, 10% of UK seats? Why should anyone in Manchester care what Alex Salmond has to say about anything?

Idle Pen Pusher is right. The agreed arrangement is constitutionally appropriate. There's no logical reason why Salmond should have the right to appeal to voters in Devon. I don't know what possesses him to think that he does.

Idle Pen Pusher said...

SR - Nick Clegg could be, however unlikely, as the LibDems are standing in over half the constituencies. Salmond can't. That fact, together with the fact that they have 15-20% support in the polls and over 10% of seats in Parliament qualifies them, just, to be in the debate.

Allan said...

Subrosa: Many thanks for the link

William: Remember the vote you make on May the 6th is for a constituancy MP, therefore the SNP should have been accomodated in some fashion in the debates.

subrosa said...

Oh William, dearie me. Can't you see a purely Scottish party just can't contest English seats? What school did you go to?

subrosa said...

Oh yes IPP, the libdems can do much better. It's all to do with the media exposure and I congratulate him for making the most of it.

The amazing part was Gordon Brown agreeing with him most of the time, yet he never ever answered one of his questions during PMQs this year. It shows what a circus the Commons really is.

subrosa said...

Was happy to do so Allan. I found it an excellent comparison.

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