As an Englishman residing in Scotland, I’ve seen the anti-English hatred that’s being stoked up by Scottish nationalists

Posted By . Under IMPORTANT  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,   

The SNP and its chief Nicola Sturgeon cannot cease blaming the English for all their nation’s woes, from Covid to poverty to failing colleges – as a result of the fault actually lies with the dismal SNP authorities itself.

This week, Scotland’s first minister and SNP chief Nicola Sturgeon once more attracted headlines for mainly telling English folks to not come to Scotland for concern of spreading Covid. Whereas Sturgeon would little question cross this off as a wise measure to fight the pandemic, the truth is latent and divisive anti-English sentiment underpins the SNP’s core message in favour of independence.

Additionally on rt.com

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gestures as she gives evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee examining the handling of harassment allegations against former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain March 3, 2021
Nicola Sturgeon, and Scottish independence, forges on. The Salmond case will not be the Watergate her enemies hoped for

In a coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, Sturgeon mentioned: “From Monday for a interval till the center of May very well there might be extra hospitality open in Scotland than in England as a result of there might be some indoor opening – albeit very restricted – that’s not the case but in England. So once more if individuals are coming north throughout the border, you realize, don’t kind of crowd into locations – you shouldn’t be allowed to crowd into locations indoors – however don’t come particularly to kind of escape the principles in your individual space.”

However Covid circumstances, hospitalisations and deaths are actually right down to a trickle compared to simply three months in the past. In early January, reported deaths in Scotland had been working at over 90 per day. However there was no day with double-digit deaths for the reason that finish of March and they’re now nearer to 2 per day. Within the space I stay in, the Scottish Borders, there have been no circumstances of Covid in any respect reported on April 22 – and that is not the primary day that has been the case. The place as soon as there might need been some justification for us to be advised to remain in our personal space, that clearly does not apply now. 

And, regardless of the SNP’s finest efforts, we nonetheless stay in a standard nation, the UK. So Sturgeon has completely no enterprise telling English folks to not pop throughout the border. Not that the brand new guidelines coming in on Monday April 26 are precisely a compelling motive to take action. Scottish drinkers will lastly be capable of go to a pub, in the event that they’re prepared to take a seat exterior, two weeks later than their English counterparts. (Having tried this in my very own backyard final evening with my spouse and a neighbour, this was solely possible with a number of layers of clothes and even blankets!) 

The place Scotland’s guidelines differ very barely is that we’ll be capable of sit inside till 8pm – simply so long as we do not need something alcoholic. The puritan streak of Scotland’s rule-makers is alive and nicely. Why would anybody go to the difficulty of travelling north to “crowd into locations” for a meal and a cup of tea?

The notion that English hordes are ready on the border to unfold the plague north once more is solely illustrative of the SNP authorities’s mindset. However the demand for independence is constructed on defining Scotland as completely different to England: It is ‘Tory England’ that’s holding Scotland again. If solely Scotland had been ‘free’, we may stay in a social-democratic paradise, extra like Scandinavia, than the merciless, market-driven society down south. 

Small surprise that this outlook naturally lends itself to a level of anti-English sentiment within the get together in the direction of their ‘oppressors’, whose accents permit them to be simply recognized. Or not – one resident took to Twitter after Sturgeon’s edict, to moan: “I’m a Scot, nonetheless I converse ‘The Queen’s English’. Residing in Stirling, a hotbed of Nationalism, I can not let you know how a lot verbal abuse I obtain once I a lot as converse. Scotland is now not a pleasing place, even for a Scot, to stay.”

Learn extra

Galloway: The epic battle throughout the Scottish Nationalist motion will go away Sturgeon flapping on the deck of a sinking ship

Such anti-English attitudes are on no account commonplace. Most Scots could not care much less the place you might be from. Whereas I used to be born and bred in Birmingham, I’ve personally skilled little or no anti-English feeling and even that was principally simply banter. In my expertise, intra-Scottish rivalries generate extra warmth. I’ve heard Glaswegians discuss with folks in Edinburgh as ‘caught up’, whereas some narrow-minded Edinburgh varieties discuss with ‘Weegies’ as ‘soap-dodgers’. However this sort of factor is marginal and, once more, principally in jest.

However whereas specific anti-English feeling is unusual, that did not cease just a few numpties protesting on the border final July towards English folks travelling north – at a time when Covid restrictions had been significantly scaled again. The message was ‘Maintain Scotland Covid free’ – as if England had been overrun by illness and the drawbridge needed to be pulled up. Even Sturgeon balked at that – although it took a day or two for her to criticise it.

However the underlying anti-English message is nationalist myth-making. Scotland will not be some poor oppressed colony. Simply seven years in the past, Scotland voted clearly – in a supposedly ‘as soon as in a era’ vote – to remain a part of the UK. Public spending in Scotland is increased, per capita, than in England. In 2018-19, public spending per head in England was £9,296, nevertheless it was £11,242 in Scotland, helped by taxes raised north and south of the border. 

Furthermore, what is finished with that cash is overwhelmingly decided in Edinburgh, not London, notably within the areas that voters are likely to see as a precedence. Because the Scottish authorities’s personal web site notes: “The Scottish Authorities runs the nation in relation to issues which can be devolved from Westminster. This contains: the economic system, training, well being, justice, rural affairs, housing, atmosphere, equal alternatives, client advocacy and recommendation, transport and taxation.”

Sadly, the SNP authorities has been a failure on lots of these fronts throughout its 14 years in energy. However that is all the time blamed on Westminster, not on the various failings of Sturgeon & co. It has all the time been within the SNP’s pursuits to maintain the controversy about independence on the forefront of Scottish politics by blaming Boris Johnson and his predecessors for Scotland’s woes, fairly than admit that they have been fairly ineffective themselves. So whereas the SNP loves to speak about its inclusive and cuddly ‘civic nationalism’, the underlying message is ‘Blame England’.

The SNP is not even that involved in independence, actually. It could love Scotland to be part of the EU as soon as extra. It could be completely satisfied to have guidelines imposed by Brussels as soon as once more. That is not self-determination – that is ‘Anybody however Westminster’, or ‘Anybody as long as they’re not English’.

The SNP is nearly sure to be re-elected in Could’s Scottish Parliament elections, fairly probably with a majority this time round. (For the previous 5 years, it has been a minority administration propped up by the Greens.) With Alex Salmond’s Alba get together attempting to skew the electoral system to create a ‘pro-independence super-majority’ in Holyrood, the calls for for independence might get louder nonetheless, even though opinion polls on the matter have been cut up down the center for years. 

And if pro-independence events are within the ascendant, the ‘Blame England’ message goes to be pushed ever more durable – with each chance that this might be transformed into better anti-English sentiment.

Suppose your folks would have an interest? Share this story!