LIBERAL FLIGHTS OF FANCY

It occurs to me yesterday's intervention by Michael Moore (or as Peter Bell calls him Mr Pointless), surpasses in stupidity all previous attempts by him to undermine the cause of independence.

He announced that border posts would be erected between Scotland and England and that even farm tracks and side roads would be manned by armed guards.

The notion has been raised before (perhaps by Captain Darling?) and, as I remember, it was put in its box at that time.

The British Isles is a common travel area. There are at present five different jurisdictions which enjoy freedom of travel sans passeport or other travel documentation  States of Jersey, States of Guernsey, The UK, The Republic of Ireland, The Isle of Man. 

Three of these jurisdictions are not even in the EU. 

During the years of "the troubles" in Ireland, there was still freedom of travel between the republic and the province.

Why on Earth would the UK want to have border posts between England and Scotland. It would inconvenience travellers and disrupt trade between the two nations. It would serve no useful purpose and it would cost a fortune. There is no guarantee that an independent scotland would agree to man their side of the border, deeming it unnecessary.

The only conclusion one can draw is that the Uk authorities would choose to be awkward with Scotland for the sake of being awkward with Scotland. In other words they would behave like a petulant child.

Either that, of course, or Mr Pointless is fibbing?

Ah, Project Fear's idea of positivity!
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I was intrigued to read in the Daily Telegraph that the government in London has suggested that pensioners will have to remain in their jobs until they are 70. Not this time because the   government can't afford to pay pensions (although it can't), but because the UK is running out of workers.

That's an interesting concept, given that there are millions of people who are unemployed and England is apparently overrun with "foreigners". But according to the Department for Work and Pensions' Steve Webb (so the usual warning apply and pinches of salt are available on request), employers will need to fill 13.5 million job vacancies over the next 10 years, but only 7 million young people will leave school and college during that time.

Webb tells us that this is not a plan to force people to work “into their seventies and beyond” but was aimed at preventing older workers dropping out, perhaps through treatable health problems. The article mentions that McDonalds have found it useful to have older and younger people working together.

“This isn't ‘work ‘til you drop,’” Webb lied, I mean, said. “This is actually enabling people to carry on, and in most cases that is good for their wellbeing as well.”

This translates into: "This is a plan to reduce people's uptake of pensions to save us money, because we are Tories (well, as good as) and we don't like paying out state money to ordinary people. Just because their health is deteriorating doesn't mean that they shouldn't be forced to work in McDonalds. It will be good for them. I myself shall continue 'working' from the red benches in the House of Lords until my state funeral and possibly after."

To think I once contemplated voting Liberal Democrat! Is there one 't' or two in prat?