If I said to you…
There was a large group that was successful because of its scale and diversity, but a small part wanted to leave it because of imagined discrimination
…might I be talking about Little England Tories and the EU, or the SNP and the UK? Can’t tell them apart really.
The Part has done well in the Group. It’s had disproportionate influence over the Group’s actions, and enjoyed international trading power – thus wealth – because of the Group’s scale. Recently though, very recently, angry begrudgers in the Part have been telling stories of their subjugation by the Group. This is nonsense, they’ve made it up. But they’ve contrived a lot of resentment from it, and people now believe it. They dress this resentment up in rational arguments – about economic potential and making our own choices, but it’s just polishing bigotry.
Facts speak for themselves. The UK economy is thought to have been hit by 4% just because of Brexit. Estimates put the damage to the Scottish economy of secession at between 6% and 8%.
If we want to make choices we need to have the power to do so. That comes from getting involved, not running away. Scotland is suffering under a comically incompetent Westminster government, but so is the rest of the UK. We can be fatalistic, and believe Scots are too few and always overwhelmed by the English hordes. But the thirteen years of Scottish Prime Ministers with largely Scottish cabinets that we had til recently proves that a fallacy. We had that because they got involved, and didn’t focus parochially.
Nicola Sturgeon wears a shining halo for her competence and honesty, but only because she’s being compared to Honest Boris. If you set the bar that low it’s not hard to cross. The fact is the SNP has been in power too long and become arrogant with it. Their performance where they have control has been dreadful, but we’ve not noticed because of what we’re comparing them to.
Should I vote for the SNP? No, they’ve been there too long and have proven themselves unable to run a country very well. If I thought they were wonderful I’d still say it’s time for a break. However their raison d’être is removing Scotland from the UK, and cutting our economy off at the knees is a silly idea. Doubtless they’ll do well all by themselves, but a majority will make them push for their referendum. After a year of Covid, five of Brexicide, and all the other disasters going on that’s the last thing we need.
Should I vote Conservative? If they were cast of pure gold in the halls of heaven and descended to Earth clothed in samite, if I approved of all their policies (and I do of some), and if the Scottish Conservatives were the most competent in the political business there would be a few considerations:
- They’re the Xenophobe Party. From Brexit to Hostile Environment, they’re all about hating foreigners (and loving Daily Mail readers)
- Any vote for the Tories is an implicit vote for Brexicide
- Any vote for them is an implicit approval of Honest Boris, the most loathsome incompetent and crooked PM in living memory
I’m afraid they might have to do without my vote this time round.
Should I vote Green? The biggest risks to the world right now are environmental; Covid, Brexit, Secession and the rest are but a sideshow. The biggest problems need the biggest focus. But the Scottish Greens are secessionists, which says they’re not connected to reality. Whether they like it or not their secession policy makes them look like an SNP add-on. If you can’t vote one you can’t vote the other for the same reasons. The Biggest Problems will need to be dealt with by a grown up party.
Should I protest-vote for one of the little guys? A nice idea, but you need an electoral system that registers it. In our peculiar (and horribly unfair) system it’s a vote wasted. Vote for someone who has a chance.
And of the rest? They might dress it up in Europhilia or Big Worldium, but the policies of the three above are isolationist. Whoever keeps that in check should get the vote.