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Lettres d'Uzès #50: The ayes have it

15/9/2014

11 Comments

 
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The talk in the village is of Scottish independence. Well, not all of it to be honest, but a lot of it; because in the village live two Scottish friends for whom the referendum is the culmination of a lifetime of hope. They can’t vote, of course, being resident in France; but this week they will be leaving their business and their home for a few days so they can be there in Edinburgh as the results come in.

They are not alone in this. Rupert Murdoch has also come to town on the basis that his grandfather was a Presbyterian minister. And I would too, if I were Scottish. But the complex DNA of my family may have some Danish, some Jewish and some Irish, but as far as I know there is no Scottish blood. (Although I do remember from my childhood that my father was unnaturally fond of the voice of Andy Stewart and his Scottish soldier.)

I have been following what has passes for the debate closely, primarily so that I can hold my own when Archie and I meet for a glass or two in the Bar du Marché, and I concur absolutely that Scotland has been effectively disenfranchised in recent decades and I think that, were I Scottish, I would be voting ‘yes’.

In fact, even as an Englishman who will probably have to suffer generations of Tory or UKIP hegemony should the vote be for independence, my vote would still be ‘yes’.

It would be ‘yes’ because, like millions of us outside the political class and the Westminster bubble, I feel that the agenda being pursued by our politicians – of all parties - has little in common with the real concerns of ordinary people.

And there is enough of the situationist in me still to want the Scots to throw the entire establishment into turmoil and see what comes out subsequently.

In my more rational moments, however, it seems to me that a form of federalism is the long-term solution. I hold it be self-evident that there are aspects of our lives over which each nation – England, Wales, Scotland – should have total control. Equally, there are elements which we collectively, as a republic, can act together and thus derive greater strength and greater influence in the world. A similar arrangement could operate in Ireland.

Apart from sporting allegiance, I am not a nationalist. As Mick McGahey, the Scottish miners’ leader, said, “nationalism is a bourgeois deviation from the class struggle”.

But I have been impressed by the way in which the ‘yes’ campaign has focused on the benefits which might accrue to those who are being ignored by the neo-liberal economics of the political class. And even the most casual observer of the news reports of the debate will have realised that the richer and more prosperous is an individual, the more likely are they to support the union. And vice versa.

I know where my sympathy lies.

Today from the everysmith vault: Dick Gaughan, Workers’ Song, from handful of Earth.

11 Comments
Allan
15/9/2014 02:13:33

Yes!!!

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allan
15/9/2014 02:19:39

... and for exactly these reasons.

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Andrew
15/9/2014 02:25:35

Too late for federalism. This should have been proposed years ago, but the political class remain ignorant of the needs of the vast majority - not just in Scotland but throughout the union. If no wins, it will be back to the way it always has been. Setting up enquiries which take years (Iraq?) and are never published. Nothing will change. Until next time.

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Sean
15/9/2014 03:27:11

One of my Grandfathers was Cameron Muir from the Isle of Bute. You can't get much more Scottish than that. I've been reminded of my Scottish ancestry often but feel no affinity towards it as a place as I've never lived there. To me your country is the place you live and the people you live amongst that determine who you are. When I lived in Spain I immersed myself in the Andalucian culture. To paraphrase George Carlin: "“I could never understand ethnic or national pride. Because to me pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth. Being Scottish isn’t a skill, it’s a f***in’ genetic accident. You wouldn’t say ‘I’m proud to be 5’11”. I’m proud to have a predisposition for colon cancer.’ So why the f*** would you be proud to be Scottish, or proud to be Italian, or American or anything?”.
I'm with him.
As to whether some politicians carve a new career for themselves on the back of independence, I'm sure they'll do their own country proud and won't just be interested in feathering their own nest. Also, I have a 7 months old baby so I am struggling to have the time, energy or inclination top give a toss either way. I hope this helps.

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Graeme
15/9/2014 04:43:05

Love the casual way you dismiss the monarchy: We, collectively, as a republic. Now that really would be a consummation devoutly to be wished.

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Anders
15/9/2014 09:32:19

Catching up with your blog and didn't expect this. Read it twice. Know where you're coming from and well argued but you are, fundamentally, wrong. Sorry. Vital that the entirety of this country stays together.

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David
15/9/2014 10:53:11

Your conclusion is correct. But for the wrong reasons. Scotland deserves and should have control over its own destiny, as should England and Wales. I am less convinced by the case for Northern Ireland but that's a different issue. This is about national identity and nationalism not about class. But, as an English resident of Scotland, I will be voting Aye!

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Geoff
15/9/2014 11:12:19

So the Dirty Digger returns to his roots. I think he is there in the hope and expectation that the vote will be 'yes'. Since the News of the World business, he has become openly opposed to the political establishment which once held him in thrall. When were you and Murdoch last on the same side?

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Tony
15/9/2014 11:39:33

The key - the clincher - is the penultimate paragraph. Vote 'no' if you are a bank or big business. Vote 'yes' if you are struggling to exist in a society which is run not by the unions but by the unionists.

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Charlotte Ford
18/9/2014 01:01:38

Our own politicians who argue the case for a 'no' vote have got it wrong, in my opinion it is not all about money .Scotland has a strong identity all of its own and being part of the U.K is likely to erode it. Hoping the 'yes' vote wins the day.

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Charlotte Ford
18/9/2014 02:22:53

Changed my mind; it is all about money. Trade, national identity , central government . Am still with the 'yes' vote; it is the best possible outcome now.

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    Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father, grandfather and son. Resident in Warwick, England.

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