All my life I have loved Scotland visiting practically every year. For the last five years it has been my home too.
I take my hat off to Alex Salmond surely one of the most consumate politicians in my life time.
From the very start he has out manoeuvred the opposition. The very wording on the ballot paper immediately has negative connotations by voting No. Yes sounds so much more positive.
The length of the campaign has given lots of time to work on whipping up grievances and injustices imposed by the auld enemy. You would almost think Scotland has been occupied by a merciless army rather that being in a benign and mutually beneficial union with the rest of the United Kingdom.
He has created a whole army of new swear words which are articulated with real venom as often as possible. Top of the list of course is ' Tories ' closely followed by BBC, Metropolitan Press,Big Business, David Cameron, Team Westminster, London etc etc.
He has persuaded practically all voters that they never got the government they voted for. A total lie. The majority of Scottish voters voted for the last Labour Government. There are still over 50 Labour MPs in the PRESENT parliament and only a handful of SNP MPs!! He has made voters believe the NHS is in danger off privatisation when in fact it is controlled by Scottish devolved powers. Another total lie.
On North Sea oil I often wonder how it has been accepted as Scottish oil when the waters around the United Kingdom were considered to be just that, United Kingdom waters. On that basis the oil belongs to Wales too. The SNP started claiming it as Scottish from the moment it was discovered. Shetland may now decide to become another country and claim oil! But the oil is controversial so I won't get into how much is left.
Alex has also persuaded voters that all the promises can be funded without raising taxation and that no public sector cuts could happen. Again I won't go into it or the currency issue. Everybody believes what they want to believe.
What has REALLY disturbed me is the bad feeling and sometimes downright hatred all this has generated and it will not go away. If there is a yes vote as seems likely the aftermath will be very ugly. When the SNP doesn't get all it wants in the two years of negotiations it will be another opportunity to blame it all on the English. Actually polls show an overwhelming majority of English, Welsh and Northern Irish want Scotland to remain in the Union. I wonder how they will feel if told to Sod Off? I wonder also what the ( as seems likely ) half of the Scottish electorate who vote no will feel about coming out of the Union on a tiny majority? Of course in the event of a NO vote we will have to go through this all again until we give the right answer.
As for me, like a lover who has been rejected, I hope you leave.
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