Resisting Democracy

Many high-powered and deeply embedded media columnists enjoy positions of power in British democracy, given money and profile to expound their wisdom to the populace. This commentariat includes one John Rentoul “Chief Political Commentator, The Independent; visiting professor, King’s College London. Author with Jon Davis, Heroes or Villains? The Blair Govt Reconsidered”.

John has a long track record of a bitter (and often confused) monologue about Scottish political affairs. The recent reports we highlighted today and yesterday seem to have sent him overboard.

John claims to be Scottish, but I’m not sure on what basis:

 

The sense of entitlement is palpable – debating the franchise John is fabulous …

 

The signs of desperation are here to see as senior British advisors point out to No 10 the disastrous course they are on.

But John’s not happy:

 

 

 

As a response to a very senior academics report this is comical.

Most Unionist politicians attempt to hide-away their efforts to gerrymander or distort the voting process, dressing them up as “fair” or reasonable. No such niceties for John.

My favourite is the line …

 

As if unprecedented landslides for Westminster are “lucky” –  or a cross-party pro-indy majority at Holyrood is “lucky” – or a year of majority polling is “lucky” or as if a democratic referendum result would be “lucky”.

The funny thing also about all of this – the idea of Scots everywhere having a vote that crops up routinely – is that it precisely negates the Unionist major charge – that Scottish nationalists are ethnic nationalists. You end up with Unionists arguing for an ethnic basis to the franchise while the Yes movement defend the right of anyone resident in Scotland being the obvious basis for entitlement to vote on the country’s future (wherever you are from).

Readers of The Independent deserve better.

Comments (7)

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  1. Chas Gallagher says:

    A dear mentor of mine in the GPO and who lived next door to my aunt was a Rentoul and was so proud to say his ancestry was from The Channel Islands!!!

  2. John D says:

    So a Private School boy and Orcsbridge product has an unlimited sense of entitlement!
    I knew that already. They also prefer the term ‘Independent’ for their private institutions.
    I have always preferred Tories that have the gumption to admit their prejudices rather than the Tories in the Independent and Guardian who are kidding themselves and the fools who fall for their dishonesty.

  3. Squigglypen says:

    Jist ignore the git. Independence is coming.
    Wi’ luck he might cross the road wi’oot lookin’ an’ get nocked doon. In a caring way of course……

  4. James Mills says:

    Oh Dear , John ! Toys out the pram , eh !

  5. Graham Ennis says:

    Cretinous thinking from a Quisling.
    How much loyalty does he have to the real land and people in Alba?
    About Zero. As Franz Fanon said: “Black skins, white masks. ” His ethnic identity
    has been reduced to ranting about thoe who have more scottish ethnicity than him.
    He has been absorbed by the Ruling class, and is their faithful servant.

  6. Graham Ennis says:

    The key issue here is the danger of paramilitary action if the Legal vote is blocked, or has proplr outside Scotland voting, or there is manifestly
    something crooked about the vote, and its no. A handful of people who have training, can pin down 10,000 Troops. Their example will generate copy-cat groups. and
    from there on, its a long campaign. Sigh. A move to insurrectionist tactics would make certain a minimum 10 year campaign of violence.

    1. Pub Bore says:

      I’d like to see the risk assessment on which you base your certainty.

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