Home > Politics > Leaders

Sunday 27 May 2012

Save the union

7 January 2012

‘Saving the union’ is unlikely to rank highly on David Cameron’s list of new year resolutions. Scotland is becoming a land about which most Westminster politicians know little and care less. It is being handled in 10 Downing St by Ed Llewellyn, who specialises in foreign affairs, yet neither he nor anyone else has the faintest idea what to do about Alex Salmond. The Scots around Cameron regard their motherland as a distant memory, a place where they lived before seeking political asylum in England. The Edinburgh parliament, its arguments and dynamics, are a mystery to the Prime Minister and his aides. And yet somehow he needs to fight and win a referendum on independence.

The longer he ignores this problem, the worse it will become. The 1997 wipeout, when the Tories lost every seat, now looks like a golden era of popularity — no leader has since managed to attract half a million Tory voters, as Sir John Major did. The lack of Scottish MPs has compounded the Conservatives’ sense of isolation. Personal links have atrophied, and Salmond’s message to the Tories — that Scotland is a foreign and hostile land — is being believed. The Conservative leadership knows that attention on Yorkshire or the Midlands is far more likely to be repaid in votes.

Ed Miliband demonstrated his interest in Scotland last October when he was unable to name the ‘three great hitters’ who were campaigning to become leader of the Scottish Labour Party (a position he held at the time). The winner of this lack-of-talent contest, Johann Lamont, embodies the Holyrood parties’ failure to attract bright young things. The best idea that emerged from the Scottish Conservatives’ contest was to rename the party — but even this was defeated. It’s not as if the Liberal Democrats can crow: the party is polling so badly that it now stands to lose all ten of its seats in mainland Scotland, with Orkney & Shetland the last safe seat.

Unionists on both sides of the border have told themselves that separation is such an obviously bad idea — offering so much upheaval, for so little benefit — that Scots would never vote for it. Most opinion polls back this up, but Cameron should derive no comfort from this. Opinion polls put the Scottish National Party 14 points behind Labour at the start of last year’s Holyrood election campaign, and still Salmond went on to win an outright majority. All three main rivals resigned.

But he is beatable. The battle for Scotland simply requires a little organisation, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ought to provide it. As Cameron knows, he cannot lead the charge — the campaign for Scotland’s future can hardly be fronted by an Englishman. But crucially, it ought to involve the Labour party, which still has a critical mass of intelligent Scottish MPs. If asked, they would advise Cameron to call a referendum at a time of his choosing and on a question of his choosing. Scots should be asked to say ‘yes’ to the union, and the campaign turned into a celebration of unity. There should be no third-option compromise, which could (if left to Salmond) be crafted into a consolation prize for the separatists.

Salmond is said to be planning a referendum on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, June 2014. Robert the Bruce won that battle by choosing both the turf and the timing. Cameron should not allow Salmond this advantage. Avoiding battle is, alas, not an option: the only questions are when the fight will take place and on what terms. Salmond should not be left to decide.

Winter warning

The sight of daffodils blooming in January — as they are now — should be cheering. Not just because it’s pleasant to spend New Year’s Eve sitting outside admiring the unseasonable flowers. Freezing weather is the biggest killer of pensioners in Britain, and the mild temperatures mean that fewer will die of the cold this winter.

Each year at least 20,000 people — mostly the over-75s — still succumb to what is technically known as ‘excess winter mortality’. Extortionate fuel prices, inflated by the government’s hidden carbon taxes, had threatened to deal an even greater blow to old people this winter. Nature has relented; but the British government has not. Chris Huhne’s new environmental targets will mean that bills will increase by at least a third over the next decade.

The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act (2000) has done nothing to reduce the death toll, and still ministers seem more concerned with the heat than the cold. When a heatwave was blamed for claiming 2,000 lives in Britain eight years ago, the response was to divert millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money into trying to slow global warming.

If just a tenth of winter deaths are caused by overpriced fuel, that makes it a bigger killer than traffic accidents. Finding ways to make energy bills cheaper is the surest way to save British lives. It is a mission which Mr Huhne ought to approach with some urgency.

James Matthews

January 5th, 2012 5:35pm Report this comment

"And yet somehow he needs to fight and win a referendum on independence.".

Umm. Why? If Scottish commitment to the Union is so lukewarm and conditional (some opinion polls suggest that plus or minus £500 in the pay packet would determine the outcome of the referendum) that the outcome is in doubt we would all be much better of without it.

Barry The Elder

January 5th, 2012 5:47pm Report this comment

Why cant David Cameron (theres alot of Scot blood in my veins) front to keep Scotland in union? England was to be destroyed in the name of regionalisation by none other than Prescott (Welsh) Blair(Scots born) & Gordon Brown who needs no introduction

David Mc Neil

January 5th, 2012 8:14pm Report this comment

The sooner we become free and run our own affairs the better. Cameron ,has no mandate in our country and the more he goes on about it .the better for SNP.... Saor Alba

Chris

January 5th, 2012 8:25pm Report this comment

Devolutions was so unfair and unbalanced it created division adn discrimination immediately. England not being given the same equality and her people discriminated against by Westminster. English MPs are second class in the UK as they have less rights to voting than the devolved MPs. With the SNP pulling Scotland away and the English Pushing it because of the inequlity devolution, you'd think who set out to destroy the Union? The Excuse that England having her own parliament would destroy the Union is a False one, it's the only thing that will keep it together. I susspect it's too late to save the Union anyway, so really a Full English parliament has to be inevitable. A higher majority want it now than ever there were Scots, or Welsh or Irish who GOT theirs. Bring back a nationhood and Democracy to England. End the West Lothian Question and Kill off the Barnett formula.

Lee Jakeman

January 5th, 2012 9:06pm Report this comment

I'm an English nationalist who doesn't want to save the union. I want a divorce - preferably on good terms.
Devolution has made "nations" of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - but has reduced England to a collection of 9 "regions". This is an insult to England and someone will no doubt pay for it one day.

Home Rule for England

January 5th, 2012 10:51pm Report this comment

Most English people are at best indifferent to the Union. Many, I would say a majority, would welcome Scotland declaring independence. You see, we English have always been potrayed as the bad boys, and we've had enough. We're fed up with hearing about how we imposed our will on poor little defenceless Scotland. Trampled over the Scottish with our invading armies,destroying their industry and forced the poll tax on Scotland. Well, we've had enough. We are calling Scotland's bluff. We are saying vote for independence. Go! Please go!
Scotland has the opportunity to bring
the Union to an inglorious end. The Scottish can vote for independence and go their own way! In fact they could have voted for independence years ago! The SNP was formed in 1934!
So I just wish Cameron and Milliband and all the rest of the Unionists would forget about trying to save the Union and let Scotland become an independent nation again.
I hope the Welsh and N.Irish will do the same. Then we English can get on with our lives.

Dusty

January 5th, 2012 11:21pm Report this comment

"Scots should be asked to say ‘yes’ to the union, and the campaign turned into a celebration of unity. There should be no third-option compromise"

You're talking about saving the 'UNION' right?
Why not have that third option? and why not have it put there by the unionists? this maybe the ONLY way out for the union.

"the only questions are when the fight will take place and on what terms. Salmond should not be left to decide."

Why not?

Penderyn

January 6th, 2012 12:34am Report this comment

The english still leave in a dream world where they think they are distinct people.......the british isles used to share a common celtic language...as a welsh republican I view ppl in England as our brothers but they dont even know it. Most english are by ancestry from the local celtic stock as shown by actual DNA studies and no 17th propaganda

Heres to a brotherhood of man, but people have the right to decide how to organise themselves, lets just hope we can keep civil as a species

Wyrdtimes

January 6th, 2012 12:43am Report this comment

What's in this "Union" for the English? Nothing but insult and injury as far as I can tell. I hope the Scots vote for independence and that the UK is confined to history.

TH

January 6th, 2012 11:55am Report this comment

Why would anyone in England want to save the Union?

As George Robinson nearly said "devolution will kill the Union stone dead" and he was nearly right.

N J Mayes

January 9th, 2012 12:40pm Report this comment

"There should be no third-option compromise, which could (if left to Salmond) be crafted into a consolation prize for the separatists." This is the stupidest thing I've read for some time. You should listen to Alex Massie on this one. How do you suppose most Scots will feel if their preferred option (devo max) has been kept off the ballot by a Cameron stitchup? I, and I expect many others, would respond by voting for full independence.

Post comment