SYNCHRONICITY IN THE BORDERS (and other interesting thoughts)

Suggestions that Westminster might take "revenge" on Scotland in the event of a No vote in the referendum are very real, according to one of the leading architects of devolution.

Canon Kenyon Wright, who chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention which laid the groundwork to set up the Scottish Parliament in 1999, has urged people to vote Yes.

The canon said independence is "the only way left open, to give Scotland power over her own affairs that is both complete and secure", describing promises of further powers from the unionist parties as looking "suspiciously like a rather desperate bribe".

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have all put forward their own proposals for further devolution in the event of a No vote.

Yes campaigners have questioned whether these will be delivered, and have claimed Scotland's budget could be cut in future years.

The retired Episcopalian clergyman said: " I believe the suggestions of revenge against the Scots emanating from Westminster are very real if there was a No vote on September 18.

"There will undoubtedly be cuts to the Barnett Formula, affecting the NHS in Scotland, social security, and that benefits will suffer - we've already had (Chancellor) George Osborne and his 'bedroom tax' - and I envisage devolution being undermined despite promises of more powers. Not that I believe that the devolved parliament will be abolished, but its powers will be diminished.

"Like many, I argued for a second question offering a middle way - which I saw not as devolution but as 'constitutionally secure autonomy within a reformed UK'. That door was slammed shut - but not by Scotland.

"Devolution is no longer enough; it's incomplete and even 'max' leaves key areas unguaranteed. So Messrs Cameron, Miliband and Clegg cannot be surprised if I now see independence as the only way left open, to give Scotland power over her own affairs that is both complete and secure. Their way offers neither."

He added: "The latest 'offer' of more powers from the unionist parties looks suspiciously like a rather desperate bribe - but it is not an answer to Scotland's needs."

The canon was speaking as he signed the independence declaration at Yes Scotland's headquarters in Glasgow, and ahead of an appearance in Edinburgh tomorrow.

He will be part of a panel at the launch of a new book, A Constitution For The Common Good by Dr Elliot Bulmer.

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I very nearly choked with laughter at the Rev's latest discovery.

I'm sure our readers in the Borders area of Scotland will not be surprised that Munguin and I fell about in spontaneous mirth when we read that so many people had been contacting the Conservatives (and so many of them Conservative officials) and asking their elected representatives, EXACTLY, word for word, the same questions... in the same order. And even more amazingly, regardless of which representative they asl,  they are given the word for word same answer. Is't that just awesome togetherness?

It is almost like there was some sort of concerted campaign going on... But obviously the Tories would never sink to anything so despicable, so it must just be good old co-incidence, or synchronicity, a bit like fish in a shoal, only not quite so pretty .

It is interesting too, that at least 3 locals have done an interview with papers, and would you ever believe it. The similarities in  the interviews of "Keith and Michelle" (wasn't their an actor singer by that name),  Alexander and Lavinia (very Tory) and Rachel and Billy (not so Tory) are amazing. In fact, more than amazing.  Not only is their motivation exactly the same, but they have chosen to express it in exactly the same words, with the same punctuation.

They are a close lot the Border Tories.

Any of our Borders based readers recognise them?

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Just a thought: What are you going to do down there in the south if the No side wins? There will be No Borders (which is the Sunday name of Nob Orders, that well known, grassroots millionaire Tory club). You'll have to go and live in the islands with John. Good luck with that!
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So... in an independent Scotland, Labour would be killed?
How so Labour. Can't stand on your own two feet?
Too wee? Too poor? Too stupid?

BETTER TOGETHER, OR NOT?

So, what were they all about, these annoying ads that got pulled because of complaints from people who went to the cinema to see a film and not a political campaign?

By now you would think that Ukok and Nob Orders would have worked out that the Yes Campaign has plenty of people who will analyse every word they say and pull it to pieces. 

So, if you believe we are Better Together, you'd better have a more intelligent reason than...well, we just are.

Starring....

Rory "Alex Salmond speaks a lot of sense" Elrick with the FM

NOB ORDERS ADVERTISING BY THE GOONS

The series of photograph ads placed in the Scottish press by the London "grassroots" Tory millionaires' organisation, Nob Orders, where their subjects are described as "unpolished" is one of the most patronising pieces of political advertising I've ever seen. (You can see the posters here on Wings).

I remember thinking that U Kok couldn't get much more sickening than the ridiculous video they presented at the beginning of the campaign... You remember, the one where people said they were Scottish because they went to Burns' Suppers or liked the Proclaimers, knew Scottish poetry, or explained that in Scotland a sausage roll was quite different from a sausage roll anywhere else and how they liked wee dugs. 

Well, I was wrong. This is worse. 

The people who were used (and I chose that word on purpose) in the ads may very well believe what they have said (although if the history teacher is for real I'm glad she is nowhere any kids of mine), but the unpolished quotes make them sound somewhere between slightly silly and plain thick.  I mean no criticism of them. I'm sure they are all perfectly nice people and actually I felt sorry for them. If I'd been asked to take part in a poster campaign for Yes (fat chance) and I ended up being patronised like that, I'd have been furious.

..."Tris wants independence because, although he likes the Lake District and travels to see English Rose, Petula Clark, in concert when she is in Downtown Bradford, he still likes to see a tartan tea cosy  on his tea pot"... next to a photograph of me taken after a night on the tiles...

It seems that they have tried to be the opposite of slick. Not for them the advertisers' staple fare of young, fit, healthy, pretty people looking like boy band singers or models, saying smart things put into their mouths by advertising executives... 

And, good for them on that score, because you can have too much of David Beckham in his underwear, or Joanna Lumley looking sexy and talking in that ever so proper RP accent (OK, you can't have too much of that!) ...but you can go too far in the opposite direction. 

(A politically incorrect friend of mine looking at the series of posters asked... Are there no good looking people in Scotland then? OK that's harsh, but it was said without malice and was just the immediate thought the posters inspired! My response to that is that indeed there are, but they are all on the yes side!!)

The real parody (above), isn't that much worse than the first poster I saw. Frankly it seems to me that this is an English view of what thrawn Scots should look and sound like. 

I seriously don't think anyone is going to want to identify with them. I'm just embarrassed for them.

IT'S ALL IN A NAME...

Much has been written about Vote No Borders by better writers than I, but Munguin noticed (strange little animal) that once again the No campaign has managed to pick a name that lends itself to a titter.

OK, some would say that it is a tad childish to laugh at the names, because they are either rather silly or can be made to sound smutty. And I agree.

But you have to wonder at the people who invent these names, that they haven't seen the potential for ridicule in them. What happens at the committee stage when they are deciding on the launch? Does anyone look critically at the name as see if it can be used to ridicule the campaign? Are they naive maiden aunt types from the 1950s, or well ...what?

I recall that at one point they set up "Blether Together" (whatever happened to that?). It's objective was to get teams of people to chat on the phone about why we were better together, although frankly I'd have thought that repeating the word "clout" over and over would become tedious after a while.

But did no one think that, at least in certain parts of Scotland, the word "blether" translates into English as something somewhere between 'silly talk' and downright 'rubbish talk'. It never indicates a serious discussion. You never hear of people having a "blether" about quantum physics!

My grandmother used to say that she had met Mrs McDonald  for a "wee blether" when out "daein the messages". She was saying that she had stopped for an inconsequential chat about nothing very much...."pas grand-chose de n'importe quoi" as the French would say. 

Or, when we were kids giving her some excuse about how we had torn something or got filthy or wet... (without telling her we'd been scrumping for apples or wading through the burn), she used to say "Ach awa ye bletherin' wee skite". In short she knew we were making it up... and we were "belthering".

it's an unfortunate choice of words for a serious political campaign about something that will change your lives.

Then they decided that the UK was OK. 

Now that was unfortunate, even at the most innocent of level, because most of us would probably like to live somewhere that was better than just OK.

But the minute that they printed the name out all we could see was "U KOK".

Unfortunate, no?

Now we have No Borders. This so-called grassroots campaign of ordinary, everyday Scottish people, erm based in London and run by a millionaire Tory backer. Still, I suppose he's an ordinary everyday Tory grassroots English millionaire. The website of the second partner actually boasts to have worked on "country branding" for England!

So again, unfortunate on its own. 

I mean if you are going to pretend to be grassroots, would it not be better (and cheaper) to register your address in Scotland and to employ someone whose name isn't immediately associated with the rich and powerful in London?

But to add insult to injury, the name so easily contacts to NoB... that it is an invitation to treat. Tory nobs (short for "nobles" I imagine), are as popular in Scotland as frostbite!

OK...I can hear Niko telling Munguin that he is being childish, sniggering at this... but aren't there a lot of other people who are using it to poke fun?

And isn't that something that people who start organisations like this should have thought about and taken steps to avoid?
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