Hotel Caledonia
A few years ago, the Unionist community realised that their previous line that we should abandon thoughts of independence because we were in a ‘Partnership of Equals’ was ridiculous and indefensible by even the most casual glance at reality. So what they did was they pretended they’d never said that, and it was just a nationalist fantasy.
Except, they had of course said it, over and over, it was a coordinated line and a complete fabrication, and unfortunately, we had the receipts. Here’s a just a handful of examples of it being used:
The same is now happening with the very idea that the Union is, er, a Union. Unionists are now claiming that this is not, and presumably never was, a voluntary Union at all. This is a massive retreat and failure.
They realise that their position is that if this is a Voluntary Union then there must be a way to exit it. There is not. So, rather than compromise or discuss exit routes: a referendum, a Northern Ireland-style arrangement [Scotland and the Constitution – Bella Caledonia], or whatever, they have instead just begun to shift the grounds completely.
Here’s Lord Foulkes:
“This whole myth of a “voluntary union” is an SNP construct which good journalists should not accept. In 1707 there was no democratic decision by either country.
The UK is a unitary state built up over the last three centuries with Scots playing leading parts throughout.”
What’s happening is that, despite everything […] support for independence remains threateningly high. The reality is that Starmer’s government has done none of the things the Unionist press corps hoped/explained that it would do and has been a spectacular failure. The lazy assumption (based on no evidence at all) was that Starmer would ascend to power and that ‘Britain’ would have a ‘re-set to default settings’ and that the last decade would be wiped clean. Labour would unite Britain. None of that has happened, nor is it going to happen.
That is why we are seeing the attempt at change of language and to re-write history. If the Unionists want to fight a political battle on the terms that ‘this is not a voluntary Union’ then that’s just fine. ‘Bring it on’ as Wendy once said.
But there are problems. As Boris Johnson once said:
“No Country that values its independence and indeed its self-respect could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and self-governance.”
And his unfortunate predecessor, Theresa May also said:
“Ultimately, membership of any union that involves the pooling of sovereignty can only be sustained with the consent of the people.”
Re-Branding the Union as not a Union
There are problems with a re-brand [as we mentioned here The Awesome Foursome].
First, they will need to screen wipe everything they’ve said for decades and then explain why they have done so.
Second, they will need to run with their new idea of compulsory membership of a Union circa 50% of the country loathes.
As I said in 2019, when Boris Johnson started using the ‘Awesome Foursome’, imagining Northern Ireland as the Human Torch, England as Mr Fantastic, Scotland as the Thing, and Wales as the Invisible Girl:
“Any corporate re-branding needs a new slogan – and the ‘Awesome Foursome’ replaces: ‘the Precious Union’; the ‘Partnership of Equals’; the ‘Family of Nations’ as former brand slogans.”
“As a slogan, it has its ups and downs. It’s not quite as Tolkienesque as ‘the Precious Union’ with its immediate conjuring of Gollum. It’s not quite as sickly as ‘Family of Nations’ with its immediate association with Philip Larkin’s famous line and it’s not quite as other-wordly and blatantly untrue as the ‘Partnership of Equals’ (sub-heading ‘We’ll elect your government for you’).”
Now we are left with, what? ‘Involuntary Union’ – ‘A Union You Cannot Leave’.
It’s not really a great position to win over hearts and minds, is it?
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As the Eagles had it: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave” to which we can only add “What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise) Bring your alibis.”
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So, has the fear over Liberation Scotland taking the matter of Scottish Sovereignty or Colony status to the UN so deep, that Unionists have felt obliged to abandon the voluntary Union line in favour of, ‘Well of course it isn’t, we knew that all along’, in the faint hope that enough people will lap it up, and that this number will be more than those who will look at the change of course and rub their chin and frown?
Perhaps not. A quote from Lord Red Nose alone (even if cheered on by the Daily Fascist Express) does not amount to the entire Unionist side switching tactics.
I’d need to see more of the same to go along with that. Especially seeing as this is not the first time he has stated this (as Bella knows – see “Lord Pishy-Pants and the Rainy Ditch”), and seems to remain the only one of his ilk to have said such.
The comments of one man or many doesn’t charge our situation nor does it change our options. If we want independence WE have to make it happen.
It doesnt matter what they said in the past, they dont care, and where is the court of appeal in any case to judge such things?
With the new fascist anti-palestinian legislation, the noose is clearly tightening…
They’ll be coming for Bella before too long for promoting “terrorism”, the new buzz word for anything against the British State…
The last lights are going down on old liberal England…
In its place, a toxic neo liberal semi-fascist carcereal State which punishes, silences and imprisons its own citizens for disagreeing with it…
Tom Nairn hinted at just this. What is the alternative to the breakup of Britain?
Fascist Ukania…
A Unitary State? Tell that to the folks in NI.
Labour & Tories (probably Lib Dem’s) in Scotland refuse to lay out under what conditions Westminster would (or even should) accept a request by Holyrood for another independence referendum.
Firstly these parties in Scotland have no power to state conditions for Westminster and need approval from their respective UK parties.
Secondly having lost 2021 Holyrood election which was contested around holding a second referendum they needed a new tactic in Scotland. The Labour tactic in Scotland is clearly to not even talk about an independence referendum to convince electorate that it cannot happen therefore it is no longer a live political issue and consequently a vote for any political party which supports independence is in essence a wasted vote. This cynical tactic worked at last year’s General Election and IMO was a contributory factor in the fall in SNP vote at GE. This is essentially undemocratic and is undoubtedly leading to infighting and frustration within independence movement though it is having little adverse on support for independence.
Labour and Tories will double down on this strategy for as long as possible until it is unsustainable. The interview of Douglas Alexander on tv yesterday where he never addressed the repeated question on conditions for another referendum only underpinned this fact.
It is up to the SNP and independence movement to not only accept this fact but work out a strategy to circumvent this situation which has support of electorate in Scotland.
The support for independence is higher in younger demographics and Labour in Scotland need to understand that the independence issue cannot be wished or strategised away. They also need to realise that until there can be a cross party agreement on how a second referendum can be achieved Scottish politics will be stuck in a deadlock which is proving detrimental to the vast majority of people in Scotland.