How very, very, embarrassing for Gordon Brown - the Scottish Parliament voted last night to demand a referendum on the EU Constitution.
Hee, hee! May I share with you my experience of the Scots? In my early sportsmaster days, I tried to organize a Games at our school and invited members of many communities to join us - the Irish, South African, French, Italian and so on.The SNP and Scottish Tories said Mr Brown had treated the British public with “contempt” for failing to have a referendum before signing the treaty.
The idea was that they come and demonstrate a game or activity especially of their culture. I was hoping for some Welsh singing. We had a good response from all nationalities except the Scottish.
It wasn't that they were unwilling. As the spokesperson for the highland games explained to me on the phone, they just weren't talking to each other and so couldn't get organized.
Who couldn't get organized? The families, laddie, the clans. There was a feud running at that time. Instead, he gave me a whole lot of phone numbers for the various families and suggested I phone them individually and the very best of luck.
So the Scots ended up not being represented. I do love the Scots - interesting from an English Nationalist, isn't it? Except for Brown. He should be sent to Elba.
You want to send him to Tuscany?
ReplyDeleteYou don't want a feuding clan on your hands anyway.
Oestre - you're a bit Scottish too, aren't you? I'll have to go over and check.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a member of the Caledonian Society in Singapore there was strict hierarchy and deference to authority within the society. Decisions were made by secret committees, never to be challenged. Things ran very well mostly and they had a fantastic St Andrews Ball at which a few of the stuffier ones let go a bit.
ReplyDeleteAs for feuds I couldn't really say.
I'm more than a bit Scottish, James. I am Scottish :)
ReplyDeleteAh - Scottish Wahine.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, vote YES (not NO) to Free Europe Constitution at www.FreeEurope.info!
ReplyDeleteI keep telling you about Elba! All the Scotsmen I've met [and that's quite a few] have been absolutely charming.
ReplyDeleteGood ol' tribalism... this is one of the factors that hit the '79 devolution referendum so hard - though I maintain that Scotland's poorer-than-expected performance at Argentina '78 was what really lowered support for devolution beneath the threshold set by George Cunningham - some of the SNP would not campaign for devolution, as it wasn't independence. Many in Labour were willing to campaign for it, but not alongside any other party as they viewed that as 'soiling their hands'.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Scottish politics is worth following. The venom makes it so much more interesting.