Friday, September 19, 2014

Take the High Road

What is there to say about the Scottish referendum? I avoid writing about politics on this blog, partly because it's too divisive, but also because the people who do it for a living are so much better. This article, for example, gives a very good overview of what has happened during the last few weeks.

Instead, I shall post this enchanting 1941 documentary about the Western Isles of Scotland, photographed by Jack Cardiff. If you can't face watching the whole thing, skip to 8:45 for some lovely Gaelic singing.

3 comments:

Canadian Chickadee said...

I don't know all the ins and outs of the Scottish referendum, but I'm glad that Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Just as I was glad to see Quebec remain part of Canada after their referendum was voted down some years ago. I'd like to think that whatever differences the different regions have could be worked out peacefully, without resorting to such draconian measures.

Steerforth said...

Carol - I think the Scottish referendum can be summed up as follows:

Scotland has less than 10% of the UK population and very low number of Conservative voters Since Margaret Thatcher was elected, there has been a growing feeling that the parliament in Westminster does not represent their views. The current UK government's programme of austerity measures have convinced many Scots that the Union was no longer fit for purpose.

The Scottish Nationalist Party conducted a brilliant campaign, exploiting Westminster's unpopularity and although many of their pledges were pie in the sky, it was more exciting than the negative campaigning of the "No" campaign.

If I'd been promoting the Union, I'd have pointed out that Scotland's finest hours, when it influenced the world through its writers, philosophers, engineers and inventors, was when it was part of the United Kindom, but people seemed to prefer scaremongering.

The result may have rejected independence, but let's not forget that 45% of the voters wanted to end Great Britain.

I think a lot of people in Britain are fed up with London and what it stands for, so I hope that the country will become more federal, giving local areas more powers over their own affairs.

I'm glad that Scotland is still part of the UK, as my wife's family is part Scottish and she was upset to think that her relatives would become "foreigners".

Sharon said...

Catching up on some older blogs. Where on earth do you get this old footage from? It took me back over 40 years to a holiday on Skye as a child listening to girls singing and watching the crofters cutting the peat.

A much simpler time.

Thankyou for your blogs - a breath of fresh air ( and it''s nice seeing what going on around Lewes. My husband was brought up there and went to Priory school and I won't forget the stray rocket whizzing past my head watching one of the fire displays one November!!)

Thank you Steerforth