Nov
27
The Heartlessness of ‘Scotland’s Future’
November 27, 2013 | 1 Comment
A flurry of coverage yesterday of the SNP’s “Scotland’s Future” document . . . one thing stood out for me: the sheer, cold hard-headedness of it all.
Others have remarked on how the opposing factions in the referendum will square up: the YES appealing to the heart; the NOs going for the head.
Yesterday was heartless. No Robert the Bruce (one wee mention on page 584). No William Wallace . . . not even the blue-painted Hollywood version and as far as I can see not even a Burns quote or two.
It was clear that the SNP clearly want to encroach on what Alistair Darling will consider his natural territory. He might allow himself a wry smile for forcing the SNP to come over to his more rational side of the debate but the truth is they were always going to do that anyway and have been for some time.
Just about every poll has shown that voters will decide the referendum on affairs of the pocket: jobs & economy rather than notions of nationalism and the status of Queen Liz.
As ever Alex Salmond was a masterful orator but he is weak on the status of the pound in an independent Scotland. Like those weirdoes in the ‘Losing My Religion’ video stand by to see Darling poke at this wound with his new ally the welsh First Minister.
The SNP for their part will know that about 40% of the population are still undecided so assuming all of that 40% will bother to turn up next September the SNP only have to swing about half of them to secure a big victory. That’s not outwith the bounds of possibility.
It’s just getting interesting.
UPDATE: 27/11/13 Alex Massie in the Spectator pithily echoes my sentiment describing “the merciful absence of bagpipes-and-Braveheart-bullshit”
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