Scotia’s Ties to Europe: Top Scots writers support Scots indy

 

Nicola Sturgoen & Val McDermid Edinburgh

Brexit, is an act of deep political folly.

Writers keep a light on hoping Scotland will return to EU.

 

TOP WRITERS speak out!

Some of Scotland’s top writers wrote of their deep sense of regret and loss at leaving the European union – an equal partnerships of sovereign nations – imposed on us by England. Brexit was take back control, is about London taking back control of the devolved nations of the UK.

 

All three pre-eminent Scots writers are supporters of Scottish indy. 

 

Professor Tom Devine, “ I am hopeful that our ancient country will once again be united with out European friends before too long. The Brexit battle is over, the struggle to return to the EU has just begun. For over 600 years between the 12^th and early 18^th century Scotland most intimate external relations were with Europe. That can be so again. It will be a black Friday for me, a sad and utterly irrational farewell to the EU, a decision which is fundamentally opposed by a very large majority of this ancient nation.’

Val McDermid - "Today is a day of deep mourning. Membership of the EU has improved our quality of life in so many areas form human rights to the vastly higher standards fo roads in the highlands and islands." 

 

Al Kennedy - "Brexit is being revealed ever more clearly as an English project, with an increasingly laser focused definition of what is permitted to be English. The idea that countries would unite on equal terms in any kind of collegiate organisation is incomprehensible. There are only colonies and the colonised. This betrays England and Englishness and leaves only the worst fo any nation - the freakish, the frightened, the racist and bigoted." 

“The way ahead for Scotland will be difficult as it will be for all areas of the UK. Breaking away form a government with a desperately colonial mind-set will be complex and no doubt fraught with setbacks and betrayal. But Brexit has turned Scottish Indy within the EU into both a necessity and a real possibility.”

 

Glasgow university

Professor Tom Devine is Scotland’s premier historian and author of major books on Scottish history. He is the recipient of 3 national prizes for research on Scottish history. The senior Hume Brown prize,  Saltire society prize (1985), Henry Duncan prize Royal Society of Edinburgh (1993). Honorary membership of Scottish PEN (2020). Devine is considered one of the top academic and influencers.  “ The nations pre-eminent historian ,a towering and fearless intellect.” The Herald Scottish power 100. Professor Tom Devine, retired in 2015 as the chair of Scottish history and Palaeography university of Edinburgh. He continues his lectures in the UK and abroad. 

I’ve attended 3 of Devine’s lecture, which I enjoyed and benefited from. He is a supporter of Scottish indy.

 

Val McDermid, Scottish crime writer best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony hill in a grim sub-genre that McDermid and others have identified as tartan noir. She sings with the band Fun Loving Crime Writers.

 

AL Kennedy is a Scottish writer, academic and stand-up comedian. She writes novels, short stories and non-fiction and is known for her dark tone, blending of realism and fantasy and for her serious approaches. She contributes columns and reviews to European newspapers.

 

 

Other writers who support Scottish indy include – 

William Mcllvanney, Alasdair Gray, Ian bell, Irvine Welsh, Iain Macwhirter, Alan Riach, Irvine Welsh,

Alan Bisset, Stuart Cosgrove Liz Lochhead, Lesley Riddoch, Ruth WIshart, Gerry Hassan,

Musicians who support Scottish Indy  - Aly Bain, Dick Gaughan, Annie Lennox, Proclaimers,

 

Scots actors who support Scots indy – Alan Cumming, Sean Connery, Sam Heughan, Brain Cox, David Tennent, Elaine C Smith. 

I’m amazed by the Scots history I’ve been totally unaware of until now – even though I studied education at Edinburgh university and took history higher at school. We were taught only English history. Yet Scots history is so incredibly interesting! 

 

Scottish Enlightenment - 

English historian Peter Gay argues that the Scottish Enlightenment "was a small and cohesive group of friends – David Hume, Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson, and others – who knew one another intimately and talked to one another incessantly.’ 

Education was a priority in Scotland, both at the local level and especially in four universities that had stronger reputations than any in England. The Enlightenment culture was based on close readings of new books, and intense discussions that took place daily at such intellectual gathering places in Edinburgh as The Select Society and, later The Poker Club as well as within Scotland's ancient universities (St Andrew’s, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen). Sharing the humanist and rationalist outlook of the European Enlightenment of the same time period, the thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment asserted the importance of human reason combined with a rejection of any authority that could not be justified by reason. In Scotland, the Enlightenment was characterised by a thorough going empiricism and practicality where the chief values were improvement, virtue, and practical benefit for the individual and society as a whole. Among the fields that rapidly advanced were philosophy, economics, history architecture, and medicine. Leaders included Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Dugald Stewart, Thomas Reid, William Robertson, Henry Home, Lord Kames, Adam Ferguson, John Playfair, Joseph Black and James Hutton. 

The Scottish Enlightenment influenced England and the American colonies, and to a lesser extent continental Europe.

The nature of nationalism and internationalism: Tribalism is not Nationalism

When the European nations expanded and travelled by ship to the Americas, Indies and the far east, they settled, plundered and developed empires: often violently suppressing the indigenous peoples and taking over their lands. In Europe 200 years ago in 1800, there were four imperial powers - Holy Roman, the Habsburg, Russian and Ottoman. Europe had far fewer nations then - a look at the map of Europe is striking; now instead there are 25 independent national states. There were national campaigns against efforts by imperial powers to suppress indigenous languages, when the heroes didn’t lead armies but wrote dictionaries. For the Czechs, Slovaks, Croats and Serbs they believed that if their language disappeared, so would their identity.

Imperialist domination led to great strife, violence, wars, cruelty, starvation and exploitation. In the 20^th century the movement has been away from empires and towards smaller, independent nations. History tells us that when one people dominated in this ‘’survival of the fittest culture (beginning with the Roman Empire) they eventually collapsed due to corruption and greed. Improved interconnectivity and communications should mean we don’t need central hubs anymore. 

The fear of national oblivion and the need for survival, is clearly deeply rooted. In 1848 revolutions and national movements began campaigns for independence. However high prices have often been suffered for the creation of nation states and the post war idea of self determination: for instance the collapse of the Hapsburg empire was a catastrophe for European Jews and there was genocide wars between Bosnian Serbs and the extremist Croats. Perhaps the words extreme and domination are crucial here, which I would describe as “tribalism’ rather than nationalism. After all immigrants and different cultures can happily co-exist safely side by side. Tribalism (along with misguided socialism) often led to top/down, centralized and controlling dictatorships. 

Early last century tribalism took over under these racist dictators, with an extremist, inward-looking and narrow view of what being a nation state means. Tribalism makes me think of sectarian divides and matters a lot for some people. This is the nasty, narrow, ignorant and meaningless side of any nationalism: as seen in the dreadful wars of the Baltic states or the Northern Ireland troubles. Scotland’s Rangers fans mostly support the union, this is about past religious affiliations and class. Why do they continue? Sadly our sectarian divides still seem to matter greatly, and when religion matters less we really should all try to move on.

Germany has developed a federal system of government with autonomous states. In America also each state runs its own affairs (tax, vat, immigration). Also in America, a land of recent immigrants, there are celebrations and acceptance of different cultures side by side – China town, St Patrick’s day parades, German beer festivals, Robert Burns suppers, Hanukkah and more. Also, crucially, while these different identities and cultures are studied in schools, no one religion dominates: that is no one religion is a part of school curriculums or in politics. Yes there are far right or far left extremists, but these views are hopefully on the margins. While many rural areas have been seriously left behind. 

And what of our different identities, languages and cultures in these British isles. In Ireland many fight to keep the Irish language. In Scotland, the Gaelic language and song survived on the Western islands,. After the 1707 union, many Scots writers worked to keep the Scots songs and poems alive. After the 45 however, there was violent suppression of highland culture by the British state. In Scotland we have the National art gallery, the National Scottish orchestra, the National stadium – that’s okay. We can be both proud of our nation and international too

Most would agree that a union with a much bigger state is in fact a take over and not a union in any sense – think China / Tibet, Russia / Lithuania. After the Indy Ref 2014, Scotland must have looked foolish to the outside world. I’m not a particular fan of David Cameron, but at least he was a team player and had some regard for democracy. There are now forces aboard and at home who have no idea what democracy actually means. Boris Johnson and his team appear to want to dismantle any remnants of democracy left in the UK: they are false opportunists, who want to limit both the courts and the press. They look to the likes of Trump, who also claims he’s restoring democracy and the voice of the people!. That’s the model of rule (or supposed freedom) that dictators such as Hitler and Stalin used. (Farage is a mate of Trumps after all). 

Nationalism is not about whose tribe is dominant or best. It can be about shared histories, stories and songs, sense of place, our values. Religion, which in the past created great divides, must be a personal choice and not part of education or politics. Most countries are melting pots of many diverse people, and our very differences can make us stronger if we value them. People have always moved, or had to move, from enforced migration, from climate catastrophe or wars. Studies show that tribalism, or being part of a tribe, is a powerful motivator. But it can also be blind and ignorant. Scottish nationalism however is not narrow and welcomes all who live here.

Are people voting against the rapid advance of A1, tech businesses, globalization, and the rich getting richer - do they believe some strong man can stop this? I hope and believe there is another way through finding our own voices.

The late, acclaimed journalist Ian Bell, wrote in his Herald article, Scotland and the Easter Rising, that James Connelly seemed to assert that, “Internationalism without an acknowledgement of national identity is a forlorn, empty gesture…The willed amnesia inflicted where he is concerned is part of a wider forgetting. "When we had our vote a misrepresented nationalism colluded with a Labour party defending (so it said) an international ideal. In September 2014, Scotland was the poorer for forgetting.”

In Scotland, our great poet Hugh McDermid wrote: ‘To be international we must first be national.’  The Scottish independence and national movement was not born out of violence but out of the arts. We must now urgently vote to save our right for democratic voices.  

#protectdemocracy

Letter to the EU

I hope those in Europe understand why Scots seek indy now. Brexit is not about the EU: its about English nationalism and about a UK creaking that’s not fit for purpose. The UK today is a disunited kingdom – all 4 nations are not working well together. Both Ireland and Scotland are on different trajectories: and many in Ireland are seriously considering and debating reunification for the first time.  I strongly believe an indy Scotland will be outward-looking nation and a voice for peace making and ounity in Europe.    

Only 10 years ago the SNP had only a few MPs, now it has 80%. The SNP is socially democratic and progressive and not about racism in any shape or from and in fact totally opposite to other nationalist parties in Europe. Scottish nationalism is civic, inclusive and outward-looking: it is empathically not narrow, elitist or exclusive. For centuries Scots heritage and ideals have been ones of travel on our seas to distant lands  (Its English nationalism that is right wing.) Perhaps it is in essence the Scottish democratic party? Scotland’s ties to Europe are deep and centuries old.

After decades of UK prime ministers blaming the EU for their own failings, the consequences have come back to haunt them. Who will they blame now - the Scots, the Irish, the EU for not being nice enough to them? They have employed populism, telling the people what they want to hear. 

We need to change the narrative, particularly with those who dislike and fear Brexit. The UK establishment surrounded Scotland’s independence with negative language – words such as warning, catastrophe, too poor, too small, dependent. And instead offer positive words – opportunity, self-determination, vast resources, bright future, innovative, freedom, fair, make our own decisions, success, hope. Scotland urgently requires it own TV channel, film studio and media.

Scotland can be compared to other highly successful economies in the European trading block. The EU offers economic stability and lower mortgage rates for young families. Small economies are more adaptable and progressive. How can we re-imagine our future Scotland with greener and well-being policies? A new Scotland that doesn’t make the mistakes of the UK by de-centralising and by not having only a couple of major cities, and with improved infrastructure. 

Plus why would we accept England’s deficit: they squandered our oil reserves, with billions spent on trident and other vanity projects and on London infrastructure projects. These  produce the false GERs figures. This is not against the English people, a successful indy Scotland can be more supportive of the other 4 nations, not less. Its against those neo–liberal elites, with their off-shore tax havens. 

Indy is a process. And a journey. This failing Brexit is fooling people with a Tory government, who don’t even believe in it. Some of us might be thinking that federalism is an answer for the UK crisis – but England’s too big and has little interest. Although it might be an answer to England’s Brexit crisis. 

What’s truly scary – do people believe they have a free press or believe what they are told on tv, radio, online or in the press. Obviously it requires effort and time to search for any honesty and it’s confusing as we have so many media outlets now. The truth is not found in foreign owned press that peddles gossip, propaganda or downright lies. In fact it appears many across the UK don’t trust the media or their politicians. Figures show that trust in the UK media is far lower than in other European nations. This is surely extremely concerning for a country that portrays itself as democratic. 

Boris wants to diverge with regulations. This will mean non-alignment with the EU, and that any deal will be complex and take years with transitions or no deal. Northern Ireland will remain in the EU (and UK) which means not the UK, but Great Britain is leaving the EU. The question for Boris is: how can he take Scotland on this Brexit journey it didn’t vote for? How can he explain how Westminster works for Scotland?

We need the EU protection. ‘A small country with big ideas.’My vote’s for real democracy. Are we running out of time, as some argue – with the Brexit take over by ever richer oligarchs and the threatening climate crisis? Norway with a population the same as Scotland’s and similar resources, is one of the worlds most developed successful, democratic nations. One thing is clear – people in Scotland have voted against Brexit and they want to stay in the EU, hopefully emulating other successful independent nations. 

*Sweden Dagens Myhater  ‘Openness to the outside world made modern Britain what it is today. Now the fog lowers across the English channel. The continent is isolated.’   Kate Devlin

Bonnie Greer on Question Time spoke some Home truths!

Bonnie Greer on Question Time – spoke some Home truths! 

Bonnie Greer on BBC Question Time – spoke some Home truths! 

First of all , she said, "‘Ireland owes this country nothing, the UK doesn’t own Ireland. It is not a play thing for the UK. Ireland is Europe." 
Second. "’The US is Irish. There will be trouble with the US if the UK thinks it can mess with Ireland. I’m from Chicago, you must understand on St Patricks day the river there is green!"

She spoke a few home truths to people with closed minds – to people who really need to hear.

I often watch BBC question time each week with some trepidation, of the small minded, insular and ignorance often displayed, both by the audience and by the panel. 
What a breath of fresh air she was

! https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/bonnie-greer-on-brexit-and-ireland-on-question-time 

She put journalist Melanie Phillips in her place too.
Bonnie Greer attended the Edinburgh book festival in 2014 – she is an American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986. She is the Chancellor of Kingston University in Kingston upon Thames, London.

Photography & Journeys 2018

2018 has been a constructively rewarding year.

I was delighted that one of Scotland’s top singer song writers Rab Noakes has used my photos from his Celtic Connections gig 2017 - on his new album Anniversarywille. Back in the 60s and 70s, Rab played with greats such as Gerry Rafferty and Lindisfarne. When I hung out in the folk scene then, I remember well the harmony singing of Noakes songs, such as Branch, Clear Day,To each and Everyone, Somebody Counts on Me. In 2007, I saw Noakes still going strong at an Oran Mor gig. He often includes a fifties classic, and this time a song my husband remembered his mother singing. He is also a dedicated Bob Dylan follower – check out his interpretation of Dylan’s Mississippi. 

Rab Noakes Old Fruitmarket Celtic Connections

I also had my first front page in the Scotsman of Chelsea Clinton, in Edinburgh to promote her book, She Persisted. Also photos used by major media (the BBC, Albert hall, Celtic Connections and more) and by press outlets. I have exhibited at Celtic Connections music festival.

I need to allow space, movement, escapism, movement and time for dreams in my images. There have been times when I was so in the moment. I’ve had shoots with hours of time when the artists, the musicians, the dancers who have put their hearts on the line over their commitment to hours of hard graft.  

Journeys

I have been travelling the Scottish islands – first to Orkney, which was awesome, and all its history. Orkney gently tells many stories – ancient sagas from its rich past. Second the outer Hebrides and the beauty of the shimmering soft blues of these landscapes is breathtaking, and its expanse of sands and surging seas....

 

V & A Dundee

Other Projects

I’ve been pursing many projects - too many perhaps! - and I’m often inspired. Hopefully.

My interest and love of history continues apace – this began as a child and with visits to Edina’s historic castle and the Holyrood palace, where I purchased a small blue book on the Stewart kings. At school though, I only learnt of the Tudors and European history.

We learn invaluable lessons by following those who walked before us. I’ve been searching for Scotia – in Edina’s ancient streets and reading Robert Crawford’s The Bard, a very well researched Robert Burns biography that focuses on his poetry and songs. Writing requires a great deal of research, time, commitment, editing, resources and mostly patience too – as do all the arts. We need many skills. 

In these strange times, the arts matters more than ever. 

Culture matters. Our stories matter.

Story of Jacobites

Great series of very readable articles, entitled ‘Back in the Day’ of the Jacobites by Hamish MacPherson in the National newspaper. He asked, what if Prince Charlie had stayed in Edinburgh? 
 - https://www.thenational.scot/news/17187286.what-if-prince-charles-had-stayed-in-edinburgh-in-1745/ 

Interestingly if the Jacobites had won a very different Europe and America would have resulted. 

Hamish might have also focused more on the terrific religious wars of the time raging across Europe – The Thirty Years War. Also James VI’s daughter, Elizabeth Stuart, created a very important dynasty. 

It all became very messy, with the bloody suppression of Highland culture. That’s why Robert Burns could never wear a kilt!  

This was not Scots against English, as French, Irish, German soldiers took part.  

The belief in feudalism and elites still effects us today – with illegal landownership. 

Paris Riots of '68: talk Edinburgh book festival 2018

James McNaughtie interviewed highly respected Scottish author Neal Ascherson, at Edinburgh international book festival 2018,Iwho was BBC European correspondent in the 60s. The Cold War was halfway through; Vietnam war was raging; there was American imperialism to protect us from Russia.; there was Prague spring; Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated in America.

It was a time to the old ideas…. 

The student unrest in Paris began when male students were not allowed to visit female dorms! Old France was not changing and France has retained the idea of revolution as a possibility, an unconscious idea. In 1789 to take to the streets and make everything different.  The establishment in Uk were terrified it would come to Britain. Late 18^thcentury, instead we suffered the suppression after Culloden and later there was imperial suppression on a global scale (slavery, exploitation)

Revolution – Marche On!

Students were jailed and large marches took place. They hoped to reframe communism with a human face. The university closed down, and the idea of self-management and independence took hold. 

In Berlin, there was the revival of late Marxism, to rediscover yourself, and create revolution. 

The Prague Spring - Eastern block, not Marxism. Polish revolutions, demonstrations and democracy at the level of the workplace. The communication of ideas was so important.

Riot police were used to smash communism/ republicanism to protect the state and there was intense tension

De Gaullewas an authoritarian general and highly presidential, his aim was to defend old France. Are you red or white? There was a frozen France.

The Sorbonne was a centre of revolution and barricade. 

The noise and sight of revolution was scary, with huge crowds gathering. Revolution ‘morphed’ and everything changes, institutions collapse, anything is possible. It is all intoxicating, all brothers in arms. Tear gas was used and violence and the French public were unaware. In Munich a student was killed by a brick. Neal believed, considering the level of violence more students were killed. 

It doesn’t last long though and leads to a new situation. Things began to subside and some scenes of dissolution and the beginning of a general strike. Germany was deeply against communism. 

 

The Legacy of the Paris Riots:  In France, the communists were divided. De Gaulle was protected by the French army in Germany. But the riots eventually defeated De Gaulle, who resigned a few months later.

There were changes in the Soviet system to stop this ever happening again. There were a  change in the social institutions with younger people in positions of power. It scared the established orders, that they could be overthrown; both America and Russia were both shaken. There was 67,000 killed in Vietnam. There were aspirations In Northern Ireland for democracy, and peoples marches. The media was extreme .

It all forced reforms in Germany, not suffocated by bureaucracy and institutions. It was a revelation and changed how people related to each other. Many of the rioters fled – and asked, where is the next barricade? Others concentrated on change in more humane and different ways, such as educating children. 

There was no time to chat over the unstable, leaderless and corrupt situation today. A very illuminating and highly interesting chat. 

This talk was part of EIBF Freedom and Equality series of events.  Vote for The Death of the Fronsac by Neal Ascherson in the First Book award. 

Why Our Stories Matter

In London there is the Tate Britain, the Imperial War Museum, the British Museum, the Beefeaters at the Tower of London, Carnaby street, the Globe theatre and the Thames flowing past. My favourite London walk is from the National Portrait Galleries and Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall and no 10, past the now crumbling (and being rebuilt at a cost of millions) gothic Westminster, and on over the bridge to the Southbank and the late evening sun.

I am not very proud of the great wars, I think it is sad a generation of young men had to die to prove a point against Germany, not once, but twice. There are stories of great heroism, fighter planes, muddy trenches and gas gas boys, from the poignant Dulce et Decorum Est poem by Wilfred Owen. He ended up in a rehabilitation centre at Craiglochart in Edinburgh and then was sent back to die at the front. It all seemed pointless.

Thankfully out of the ashes the European project emerged (one of Winston Churchill’s ideas) sand we’ve had free trade, prosperity and peace now for over 70 years. After the war many of the British empire countries regained independence. At one time the British navy (along with the Dutch navy which joined forces with our navy under William of Orange or King Billy)  ruled the waves and many small islands around the world. And Glasgow and Belfast were the greatest centres for shipbuilding.

But times change. Our long reigning Queen has presided over a Commonwealth of faded past glories and now places like China and India have strong growing economies. And recently the stories coming from England have become defensive, confused, floundering. I don’t really know what modern Tory England stands for today. Has it lost its way? I am often reminded of the past stories that England once stood for - Bath and Jane Austen; Brunel Kingdom’s bridges; Cameron Mackintosh and Lloyd Weber and Cats; Liverpool and the Beatles; the great painters Freud and Hockney, Turner and Constable. Royal babies 

Campaigning in council elections recently in London, Tory MP Tom Johnson claimed, “Everyone knows the Tories will spend less and deliver more and better resources.” I am not sure I understand this logic unless they are miracle workers? Is it possible to spend less and provide more, like Jesus and his fishes? They are attempting to hire more nurses from Jamaica, which will drive nurses salaries down. And in London near the Thames there are shining empty monuments to failing London centric capitalism, the blackened Grenfell tower and tellingly knife crime and murders have increased. Whatever happened to training those British workers?

And sadly some have decided that Britain’s leaving the EU project will sort out Britain’s housing and NHS crisis. It won’t. Europe has given Britain prosperity by being an integral part of the world’s largest trading block and I fear this self-harming will seriously damage our economy. Brexit has become this strange word banded about like a dangerous football.

But there are other stories among these crisis. After two weeks of Commonwealth Games this April at the Gold Coast, we discovered that there is a Windrush generation – those from Jamaica who were invited to help Britain rebuild after the war. They came here and worked in our hospitals and buses and have lived here all their lives since the 50s and 60s., mostly in Birmingham and the south east. Scandalously their rights have been taken away – their right to work, health care, passports and some have been put in detention centres and deported. Because of Ukip’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and May’s hostile environment at the Home Office, these grandparents suddenly found they had no rights to citizenship. We were asking Commonwealth citizens to leave!

There are many other stories often forgotten in ‘Britishness’ though – the Welsh valleys, the Scottish mountains, islands and seas, and the Irish rolling hills and dairy farms. During the Brexit debates I heard no mention of the British ‘regions’. So much is centralised on the white cliffs of Dover, the London’s financial markets and the cosy shires, that the regions are looked on as peripheral and unimportant backwaters. Recent polls suggest those in England would sacrifice the union for their Brexit and care more about Gibraltar.

For the people who live in Belfast or near the Irish border in Newry or Derry or in the busy harbour of Aberdeen or the remote Hebrides or historic Edinburgh, they feel isolated and cut off from this ‘British’ story. I recently visited the western isles and it struck me to have a healthy economy we must care about all our remote regions. Scotland has run its own devolved parliament since 1997 with limited powers, and now dominated by the SNP since 2007 for ten years now. In fact ever since the Union of the Parliaments 1707, Scotland has been run by some kind of Scottish government (or over lord suppressor). At that time only the landowners, or less than 5% of the population had a vote – so this take over was never democratically voted on. In fact, most Scots at the time, rioted in the streets!

The south east of England knows even less of their Irish cousins and the Irish border was never mentioned before the referendum vote - would the English have voted for Brexit if there was a risk of the dreadful Troubles starting again? I remember the horrific nightly news broadcasts of knee capping, bombs and murders. The DUP are presently propping up May’s Tories, so how the customs alignment is to be achieved is beyond most people’s understanding and some think a few cameras might suffice at the three hundred mile border. 

A majority of Scots want home rule or devolved government: the question might be, how much should Scotland be run by those in London- on defence (trident in Scottish lochs); on welfare (bedroom tax), on foreign affairs (Brexit, Windrush), pensions (lowest in the OECD). The Scots language has been protected within the EU by a European charter. One third of today’s population speak a modern version of the same language used by Burns. Will old Scotia’s heritage, laws, rights, language, culture and arts be protected once we leave the EU? Will our wildlife be protected?

Westminster may not imprison Scottish indy supporters, instead they tie our hands with limited free press or media. Around half of Scots support indy and undemocratically less than 5% of the media represents these views. Scotland’s stories have always been different, and Scotland kept its church, law and education and runs its separate health service. Three hundred years ago, politics mattered less than the church, which held the dominating powers. 

Are there British stories in Scotland - well yes but mostly not good ones? In St Andrews Square Edinburgh we have the tall, dominating statue of the tyrant who enforced the highland clearances Henry Dundas. Overlord of the clearances. Also in Edinburgh the new town has streets named after the Hanoverian kings (rather than the Stewarts) although I discovered recently that George of Hanover was the grandson of Elizabeth Stuart (daughter of James VI of Scotland). I read of the golden eagle being endangered by these large Robber Barons grouse shooting estates. Our Britishness here means the flag waving of aggressive Orange parades or the empty shipyards on the Clyde… 

Otherwise I struggle to think what Britishness means here in Scotland. Most of our statues are to great Scottish thinkers or poets. Edinburgh had a great 18^thcentury enlightenment and then in the 19^thcentury series of books by John Prebble, which put out a false myth of a poor downtrodden Scots people. Scotland has many unique and different stories we must be proud of – Reformation, radical thinkers, enlightenment, expressive Scots Poets, Gaelic song, scientific and engineering discoveries.

The young Robert Burns admired independent minded freedom fighters such as Hannibal and William Wallace and from his writing it is clear he supported democratic values and votes for all men. A Mans a Man for o That, the Slaves Lament, Parcel of Rogues to the Nation, the Tree of Liberty. At this time (1765 to 1783) the American and (1789 to 1799) French revolutions were raging and there were great fears of rebellion in Britain too. Equality means we all deserve equal rights – but equality does not mean we are all the same. Humans have succeeded because of their diversity and also from co-operation. I believe in some capitalism (as in Sweden) but also far more social programs to benefit all. 

Edina now runs one of the world’s most important International Arts festival. I had no idea though, growing up in Edinburgh how major it was, or of all Edina’s important stories. I studied history at school, but it was all English imperialist history and literature. I am teaching myself Scottish history now and I am sad for the not knowing when I once walked down her cobbled high street to college. 

The Year of Young People 2018

SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE

There will be programs and festivals to celebrate young people's voices this year.

I attend Celtic Connections festival every January in Glasgow and enjoy the diverse mix of cultures and music. One of the most interesting aspects is the platform the festival offers young emerging talent –

*The young musicians who drew attentions this year –  Talisk, Siobhan Miller, Siobhan Wilson, Friel Sisters,  Rura, Alasdair Roberts, Kathryn Joseph, Misha Macpherson. Elephant sessions, Saltfishforty.I have also been reading of the backward looking Brexit nonsense – young people did not vote for these poorer futures – 16 and17 years olds were not allowed to vote in the 2016 referendum.

It’s a tough world for young people these days. Many have no prospects of ever owning their own home or ever having a pension. I worry many are distracted by online game playing too! MEANWHILE many pensioners spend their massive drop downs on holidays and renovating homes. The UK depends on this false London housing bubble that will surely burst.

With Brexit there are very serious issues over the Northern Ireland border and Scottish rights. I read of a British/Irish Convention which sat 10 years ago, which addressed questions such as the Irish language. There is talk of holding another convention over the question of a hard border. Westminster purposes an electronic border but is this really workable?

My first thought was - bring in the teenagers, students, twenty year olds to discuss what kind of future they want. There is far too much emphasis on what the old want, and it is not their futures.

This could most certainly is not be about out dated empire building or 300 year old European religious wars. Many young people are very angry and their futures are being neglected by selfish baby boomers and their large drop downs.   

Our links to Europe – There are the great European literary traditions from Greece to Rome, to the Renaissance through the Reformations. 

The latest Brexit is that May wants to leave the EU customs union and single market – in order to join a new EU customs non -frictionless trade arrangement where the UK can make their own rules on certain things and abide by the EU rules on others? First we’re in Europe with Opt Outs now out of Europe with Opt Ins! What’s really going on. Scotland never voted for this foolish Brexit, it makes me angry and sad. 

 SAVE SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE - http://scottishyouththeatre.org/support-us/

Apparently the significant Scottish Youth theatre is to loose its funding., in the Year of Young People. 

‘We need to remind ourselves that,  as Europe is a whole (and still, in it progressive mutilation an disfigurement, the organism out of which any world harmony must develop) so European literature is a whole, the several members of which cannot flourish, if the same blood-stream does not circulate throughout the whole body.

The blood-stream of European literature is Latin and Greek – not as the systems of circulation, but a one, for it is through Rome that our parentage in Greece must be traced.’   TS Eliot lecture to Virgil society 1944