Scotland -leased to the Scots

OFG sake paddyann this reminds me of a similar "speech" I heard at the time just before the Scottish referendum in which the result was to stay. (warts n' all).

Imagine what it feels like to live in the North of England? Where we are largely ignored by Westminster and don't have anyone to shout loud enough for us. We are basically forbidden to have an English identity, or we are deemed racist Our children have to pay full tuition fees, we pay full prescription costs etc. and don't have the benefit of the Barnett formula.

Are the Scottish really not so hard done by? If they really hate the rest of the UK as much as your post suggests why did they vote remain?

I love Scotland and living in the North East I spend more time there than I do in the South of my own country.... England. Please don't try and create divisions where there are none.

Glad to hear that it is not your own writing, Paddyann as it puts the author into a very bad light for his/her ignorance and prejudice. I know many people who voted yes at the Scottish Independence referendum, but they didn't do it from such a sense of spite.

I was born one of those English "colonists" before emigrating to the country I would choose to end my days in, and I would hate to think while I am eating my meet-up Christmas lunch on Wednesday with my friends that I am surrounded by such hatred.

Come to think of it, England has been thoroughly colonised too, by Scots moving in the opposite direction and taking over banking, medicine, engineering, schoolmastering, providing Prime Ministers, etc etc etc.

Not an opinion, just a thought...it has taken me 60 years to realise why I moan such a lot and feel aggrieved by the slightest thing despite living all my life in this 'wonderful haven' of Oxfordshire in the South! My paternal grandfather (a very lazy man) was Scottish and the quarter part of me that is Scottish must be my head. I was always proud of my Scottish heritage but it is very tested these days.
How many other countries cities or towns are so close to their capital city, most seem to be much further away.

I’m wondering what the majority reaction would be if this was rewritten as a feminist piece of writing and instead of Scotland it was women who were under the thumb as it were

gillybob
Look on the bright side you still have some of your 'green and pleasant land' unlike here in the southeast corner where everything is being built on. And I don't think there's much hope of my GD going to the primary school that is 5 mins from her house, instead my daughter has a 30 min drive to get her to school.

Another bit of divisive writing from a disgruntled Scot.

What was the point in posting this? If it was to stir up anti-Scottish feeling then you’ve succeeded OP.

lemongrove Just as well not all Scots are disgruntled and truculent (not even all those who would like independence)

As a scot with an English family
'This piece of writing' makes me very sad

As a Scot with (all be it small now) family in Scotland
'This piece of writing' makes me very sad

As a Scot with friends North and South of the border
'This piece of writing' makes me very sad

As someone who had Irish friends (north and south) during the troubles
'This piece of writing '
makes me very angry

Cherrytree I’m Irish, living in Scotland, and this piece of writing makes me absolutely despair. This sort of divisive invective is rife in Scotland but no, Gillybob, we don’t hate the English and, as you say, we voted against independence “warts n all”.

Who is the Grouse Beater and how can be claim to speak for Scotland when clearly be is expressing his own 'opinion'? Any credentials?

Don't get me started on primary school places Petra my youngest 2 grandchildren have to travel miles to school every day. We have been through the trauma of 2 failed appeals for 2 separate primaries both of which are only a short walk of their home. The whole school admissions system needs a kick up the pants.

I've read several threads about how Gibraltar and the Falklands BELONG to England ...nice to know you consider Scotland does too.I'm pro independence always have been ...and NOT in any way ANTI the "English" would just prefer MY country to be run BY us for US .The Grouse Beater Mcem ,writes a pro indy blog .I'll shuffle back to my "region" and not mention Scotland or Independence on here again !

Well paddyann have to say I totally agree with the piece in fact could hae written it myself . Alba gu brath !

"Belong to England"? Really? I mean, has anyone really ever said that? After all, they don't belong to England so it would be innaccurate for a start. Wishing to remain British is not the same as Belong to England.

And, of course, Scotland would remain British even if it were not part of the UK because it is part of the British Isles. A good deal of it is also part of Great Britain where Great Britain means the largest of the British islands. Beats me why people always misinterpret the word great in that context and think it has some imperial political meaning.

Re Scotland's supposed annexation by England, I'm thinking the Darien affair that basically bankrupted Scotland so that it had to be bailed out.

Exactly Baggs! I think the Darien Affair gets conveniently forgotten with disgruntled Scots!
As for the Falklands and Gibraltar. Although some people may find it difficult to comprehend, both of these have voted overwhelmingly to remain Crown Colonies. No one is making them remain, it's entirely their own choice as it was with Scotland.

Not being familiar with the work of the Grouse Beater, I have now formed a first impression.
Strikes me that he is no more representative of a typical,
* thinking* Scot than Britain First bloggers are representative of the UK at large.

Who cares about the Scots? No-one but the Scots, they hate us and the feeling is mutual.

I do not know what motivated PaddyAnn to post this truculent piece from Grouse Beater. He is not my favourite pro Indy blogger by a long chalk, always downbeat and moaning (although he does maintain a good up to date list of 'What the Scottish Government has done for us' which is a useful reference tool).

Personally, I do not consider Scotland to be a colony but rather a partner in a very unequal partnership. All attempts to redress the power imbalance have/will fail due to the disparity in numbers between the voters/seats in parliament north and south of the border. It matters not whether Scotland returns mainly left of centre MPs or votes to remain in Europe or dispense with nuclear weapons, they will always be outvoted by sheer weight of numbers in the Westminster Parliament.

As I have said many, many times before I do NOT hate the English nor England, just as I do not hate Germany, France, Australia, etc, etc. I recognise that these are separate countries with different priorities and outlooks and celebrate those things we have in common, whilst respecting their right to do somethings differently to suit themselves.

All I want is for Scotland to be a Country/Nation in its own right, maintaining friendly relations with its neighbours near and far, but free to govern itself, stand on its own two feet, make choices based on what is best for Scotland and all who live here, have control of our own finances, instead of sending all revenues to Westminster and begging for some of it to come back.

PS Scottish Nationalism is CIVIC not ETHNIC Nationalism. 'The People of Scotland' includes all who have chosen to live here, irregardless of whether they choose to think of themselves primarily as Scots (by birth or residence) or something else.

So by grousing
Mr/MS Beater has achieved his aim (on GN anyway)
To cause division that leads where ????

overthehills yes despair.
There are those who are more are more than ready to light the blue touch paper.

It seems that paddyann has a friend in thecatgrandma - equal and opposite in blinkered hatred! If they lock themselves in a room together for personal combat, perhaps they will cancel each other out and leave the field free for serious and calm discussion of pros and cons?

thecatgrandma I most certainly do not 'hate' the English ( but might be persuaded to make one exception.)

Paddyann has a rational view which she has often discussed in
a perfectly calm and reasoned way.
It's fine to disagree with such an opinion but not to accuse those who think in a similar way of rabid anti-English hatred.

The Darien Afffair! . Three hundred years ago?

Some folks bear very ancient grudges it seems.

Exactly, maiz.