See EU Jimmy

12743552_10153641295468300_3881298465965361259_nThe EU referendum is creating a sideshow of idiocy from the English Resistance that takes some beating. With a leadership of Gove, Johnson and Galloway that shouldn’t be a surprise but it’s the grassroots of this campaign that warrants our attention with some blisteringly stupid iconography appearing daily.

In the process Galloway himself echoes the ideas of self-determination he traduced so ineloquently last year:

“The ability to choose who governs us, and the freedom to change laws we do not like, were secured for us in the past by radicals and liberals who took power from unaccountable elites and placed it in the hands of the people. But by leaving the UK we can take control. Indeed we can show the rest of Great Britain the way to flourish. Instead of grumbling and complaining about the things we can’t change and growing resentful and bitter, we can shape an optimistic, forward-looking and genuinely internationalist alternative.”

Some of this may be familiar to you.

‘Gorgeous’ George is expected to bring some much-needed charisma and character to the Outies.

Unfortunately he seems to have forgotten this role in this unfortunate BBC Daily Politics interview:

But nothing – nothing – can compete with Mandy Boylett’s fabulous tribute to Three Lions.  Mandy Boylett, the former Ukip parliamentary candidate for Stockton North, is the creator of (and performer in ) the video. Please share amongst the undecided. Poor Mandy, like many, seems to have some difficulty distinguishing between England and Britain in all this:

But while the gruesome vaudeville of parody Britain may be UK (Comedy) Gold, and the ‘victim fantasy’ may be an unedifying spectacle, the Out campaign may have unintentionally opened the door to Scotland’s future. Unwittingly (because their own self-obsession precludes being aware of wider constitutional issues and movements) two massive obstacles to Scottish independence have been removed. Entrance to the European Union and the currency question were (and remain) potent symbolic and practical problems for convincing a large section of the Scottish public to back independence. But with a Brexit both of those are up for grabs. Our currency will be the Euro and our (continued) membership is assured.

We can be part of a strong movement to completely reform and transform and democratise European institutions as the DiEM25 outlines. England may set herself loose as a low-tax, low-wage American style free market dismantling its welfare provision and closing its borders, but it can’t impose that on us indefinitely.

This is an opportunity for Scotland to reconnect and establish itself as a contemporary European nation. We can reassert the New Talent Initiative, import and export renewable energy, close Dungavel, sit at crucial fisheries and agricultural talks, create better sustainable transport routes to the continent, contribute directly to pan-European environmental policy and play a major role in European affairs.

 

 

 

 

Comments (38)

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  1. Chris says:

    Based on how Grease was treated as being part of the euro. Is Scotland becoming part of it actually a good idea if we want self-determination and not just swap one master for another?

    1. Only on the basis of significant institutional reforms – see point about DiEM25 movement?

  2. Graeme says:

    “Entrance to the European Union and the currency question were (and remain) potent symbolic and practical problems for convincing a large section of the Scottish public to back independence. But with a Brexit both of those are up for grabs. Our currency will be the Euro and our (continued) membership is assured.”

    Are you arguing for the next referendum to be fought on the basis of Scotland joining the Euro? I’m not sure if that’s even possible let alone politically feasible or desirable.

    1. Crubag says:

      To join the euro you first have to have your own currency and demonstrate careful management of it over several years, within the ERM limits. Or use Goldman Sachs if you are Greece.

    2. The Glasgow Clincher says:

      Still don’t see how you can claim that our ‘continued membership is assured’ We would have to meet certain criteria and would be treated as new applicants. some countries, think Spain is one, may object to us joining.

  3. Gashty McGonnard says:

    “Our currency will be the Euro” … that’s a hard sell. Remember Greece?

    Maybe a Scottish currency pegged to the Euro would be a safer option… and we could join the Euro properly if the rules ever change, and it stops being a prop for German exports that depends on every other country’s growth being throttled.

    1. Heidstaethefire says:

      We can’t even be certain that the euro will survive. The economies of the countries involved vary considerably, and one currency to cover them all looks increasingly like a bad idea.

  4. jim says:

    we need the eu all the big companys are european and will take there companys from scotland just couse a few euglanders still beleive we have some sort of empire which i may add was made by the scots

  5. muttley79 says:

    George Galloway is a British nationalist, just like so many other unionists in Scotland. But they will rarely if ever admit this, probably because they have given the SNP so much abuse over the years over nationalism!

    1. Rob Allan says:

      I don’t genuinely think Galloway is a British nationalist. In fact, you only have to go on YouTube and you can see him more or less making almost the exact opposite argument to what he’s making here about the EU.

      Galloway is an example of someone who simply picks his policies for the sake of catching a few headlines. If you look at him over the years he’s been everything from a classic old Labour socialist, to an anti-war campaigner, a pro-Muslim rights candidate, an Irish nationalist, an anti-Scottish independence campaigner, a Eurosceptic, and everything in between.

      1. Frank says:

        Calling Galloway a British nationalist is problematic. What he did during the Scottish referendum was adopt a very traditional socialistic argument that the best way to fight for socialist/social democracy was in the context of the UK. That’s not nationalism, just as those on the socialistic left who adopted a pro-independence position – myself included, reject the label Scottish nationalist. Moreover, Galloway has been the finest advocate against British imperialism for more than a decade now and claims that he is a British nationalist are absurd when viewed in that context.

        I disagreed with Galloway on Scottish indy and I disagree with him on the EU and he shouldn’t be sharing a platform with Farage but the interview on the Daily Politics is anything but a car crash. Galloway wanted to make the left wing case for leaving the EU, whilst the BBC wanted to talk about a handful of Tories/Zionists who walked out a meeting…

        1. He may not be a British nationalist. But he was asked a perfectly reasonable question about the bizarre set of circumstances that sees him allied with the far-right and couldn’t cope.

          The idea that he ‘has been the finest advocate against British imperialism for more than a decade’ is a massive over-statement. You are confusing oratory with principle.

          He is an egotistical buffoon with a litany of failure and questionable practice (—) and I’m sure we will discover at some point he is not all he seems to be.

          He has always represented a constituency of 1.

          1. Frank says:

            What a silly response. I gather you are not to keen on Mr Galloway?

          2. Can you list the great ways he has been ‘the finest advocate against British imperialism for more than a decade’. What has he actually done?

          3. Frank says:

            Ee by gum…the Senate speech…Playing a leading role in one of the biggest social movements in recent memory…helping to politicise a generation about imperialism…playing a significant role in demonising Blair…but other than that not much? His input was probably just the same as any other anti-war activist…

            I’m reminded of that old saying from the Godfather film and this is in relation to Galloway and your daft question; it was something along the lines of never hate your enemies because it can effect your judgement. Perhaps you should reflect on that.

  6. MBC says:

    The toxic Euro is hardly a selling point Mike!

  7. CM47 says:

    The eurozone has in my view been a failure. A ‘one size fits all’ monetary policy across zones has been a disaster. The reason the UK is not on its knees is that it did not join the euro. If Scotland has to re-apply to join the EU, and be forced to join the euro, it will be a disaster for Scotland.

    1. Crubag says:

      Scotland would only have to commit to joining the euro. We wouldn’t be allowed to until we met all the tests of running our own currency, so easy to defer, as Sweden has done.

  8. voline says:

    Greece would have had other options than austerity, if they’d had their own currency. Devaluation would have simultaneously made Greek exports cheaper to the rest of the world and making imports more dear. Greek trade deficit would have turned to a trade surplus with which they could repay their debt. Or, if debts were owed in Drachma, they could have printed the cash to repay it to the extent that it doesn’t cause too much inflation at home – and for countries in an economic depression, inflation is not usually an imminent problem.

    In large part, the Euro was created to prevent the poorer countries from fixing their tarde deficit problems this way. German firms like Daimler, Siemens, Volkswagon, SAP don’t like their export goods being priced out of a market by sudden action of the local governments. And German Bankers don’t like the value of their Drachma-denominated assets suddenly being devalued.

    Argentina was able to extricate themselves from their debt crisis in the early aughts without massive sell-off of domestic assets precisely because they had control of their own currency and by devaluing shift some of the costs of their default onto the world creditor class. Similarly Iceland was able to rapidly turn around it’s economy after 2008 by devaluing the Króna.

    Control of your own currency is one of the great advantages of sovereignty. In my view the SNP position on independence was a terrible mistake. Say you shared the pound with (rump)UK: If Scotland slumped into recession, while London was experiencing economic growth, do you think the Bank of England would be willing to devalue the pound to help Scotland? Over the screams of the City of London? As much as the European Central Bank would consider devaluing the Euro to help struggling Greece, that is, when Hell freezes over.

    An independent Scotland should have it’s own currency, or it will leave a large part of it’s sovereignty with Bankers in London and Frankfurt. To it’s eventual cost.

  9. greatbighoo says:

    “create better sustainable transport routes to the continent”

    With what? You can’t even cover your own (high) cost to serve. If Scotland were about to become independent, you’d be starting with a deficit proportionally twice as large as that of rUK. You wouldn’t be building anything.

    “and play a major role in European affairs.”

    All 5 million of you.

    Honestly, no-one is interested in you; no-one gives a shit about you.

    1. Kenny says:

      Interested enough in 2014 when you begged us not to leave.
      Still interested enough to tell us you don’t give a shit, weird that.

    2. Alan Stewart says:

      Your contributions are always eagerly anticipated, greatbighoo, and they never fail to entertain.
      I’m laughing AT you, ok.

    3. Andrew wilson says:

      Why bother commenting then, if no -one gives a shit, Buannaich bhon teine org, amadan.

    4. Mike says:

      What deficit?

      You’re referring to Scotlands UK reserved commitments. Commitments which will no longer apply when Independent.

      Scotland has no debt. In order to gain a part of the UK debt a proportional level of UK assets would have to come with it. Including the BoE and the pound Sterling.

      Going over the same old “Project Fear” arguments again.

    5. Scotland (5,268,247) has a population comparable with Ireland (4,582,707), Finland (5,401,267), Norway (4,985,870), or Slovakia (5,404,322).

      Now why don’t you take your offensive drivel elsewhere?

  10. ScotsCanuck says:

    …. I can see you put a considerable amount of reasoned thought into your written vomit, we await your next weighty & insightful epistle with breathless enthusiasm, oh font of all knowledge.

  11. Rob Allan says:

    A lot of people regard the euro as a disaster, but there’s a lot of muddled reasoning that goes along with this subject. There’s actually a lot of evidence in peer-reviewed studies that the euro had a positive effect on trade. The primary problem with the Eurozone was that it lacked a credible lender of last resort. When it hit economic problems there was rampant speculation in the bond markets as a result and it was that effect that brought several countries to their knees. However that’s no longer a problem with the Eurozone because Draghi effectively got on a stage and made the ECB a proper lender of last resort in 2012.

    The commonly cited problem that “countries can’t devalue in a crisis” isn’t actually that accurate either. Hungary and Latvia, for instance, weren’t in the Eurozone during the crisis and they still had to turn to external lenders as printing extra money could have brought on a catastrophic currency depreciation and capital flight. Nobody ever mentions those two examples when discussing the crisis because it doesn’t fit the narrative that it was the inability to devalue which caused the problems.

    And if Scotland were to join the euro it wouldn’t be any time soon. There’s plenty of reason to think that much as the lender of last resort problem was solved in 2012 the euro will be a far more stable and appealing option by the time we join (if we do). It’s certainly far more likely to be successful than having an independent currency in my view, which plenty of people seem to regard as a reasonable option.

  12. Crubag says:

    This article reads like some of the criticisms made of indy: it isn’t art and I don’t like the message.

    But it was indy that was the grass roots movement.

    When the pro-remain camp can produce art celebrating the European Central Bank or the Single European Fish policy, I’ll believe they have popular appeal.

    Rather than grudging acceptance of the status quo because the alternative might have risks as well as benefits, as was the case in September 2014.

  13. Graeme Purves says:

    I think Scotland should ca canny on joining the Eurozone, which only serves Germany’s interests at present and will unravel if it proves incapable of reform.

  14. Mike says:

    As long as we are within the UK constitutional frame there is absolutely no point in having an In out EU debate in Scotland as the decision is out of our hands and in the hands of the English electorate just like our GEs.

    Scotland didn’t get the chance to choose whether or not it should be in the Common Market and we sure as shit aint going to get to choose whether we will be in or out of the EU.

    That’s one of our major Union benefits.

    I don’t know how Scots can find legitimacy in believing that’s a good thing.

    1. Crubag says:

      I think those who are pro-independence, who want a Scottish nation-state, find this referendum straightforward: vote for independence.

      If you are pro-union, it gets more difficult. Which union do you prefer?
      One of 27 members, 500 million people, and limited democratic oversight? Or one of four members, 60 million people and limited democratic oversight? Or both? Either way, Project Fear will be the prescription to defend it.

  15. David Sangster says:

    I didn’t think the Galloway interview was anything even close to a “car crash”. He was right, he was being patronised, and the issue trivialised. And I LOVE “Britain’s Coming Home” and I’m going to play it over and over, so there (emoji with tongue out).

  16. The Glasgow Clincher says:

    Not sure how you can claim that our continued membership is assured when the UK will be out and us with it. Some countries – Spain may be one, I’ve heard somewhere may object to a re-application. We will surely have apply as new members.

  17. twathater says:

    I am sick of hearing people talking about how we can help reform,transform and democratise the EU, to make it work better for the citizens of Europe , we the UK have been members for 40 years and the only transformations taking place are to the detriment of its citizens and the benefit of corporations. EG TTIP and ISDS the evils that these proposals and treaties bring is being hidden and negotiated in secret by lobbyists and commissioners. Celia Malstrom the main negotiating commissioner was presented with a petition signed by in excess of 3 million EU citizens against these proposals and her response was that she was not answerable to these citizens.

    In relation to ISDS there was a vote due to be taken which would have defeated this proposal, the vote was cancelled, the proposal was taken away renamed and passed virtually unchanged, this is the way this undemocratic, corrupt, incompetent parcel of rogues carry on and any idea that WE or the SG could change it is delusional

  18. willie says:

    Meanwhile the millions of Brits living and working in the EU, together with those who have retired in the EU, are keeching themselves as to their future. Stripped of their EU citizenship one doesn’t need to think too hard about the unfolding nightmares of residency rights, visa requirements, work permits, etc. Indeed, for the retired Brits abroad, one has to smile at the prospect of residency being conditional upon speaking the language of the country. That’ll be fun for the enclaves of John Bulls abroad. You wot mate? You’re avin a laff!

  19. willie says:

    Or what about all the retired Brits abroad and their medical care. Out of the EU one wouldn’t want to think about the prospect of someone asking the question as to whether it’s a burden on a country’s economy to have legions of older folks predisposed to needing health care. I mean, if we don’t want Johnny Foreigner here because he’s coming to steal and leech off our health service, then it would certainly seem be a quid pro quo for the circa one million Brits living in Spain alone, many of whom are retired.

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