The Break up of Britain Conference in recognition Tom Nairn November 2023

 

 Tom Nairn has been a guiding light. 

He took Scotland’s constitutional questions and nationalism onto the global stage. Nairn gave us secure political foundations on which to build. He was instrumental in changing Scotland’s nationalism from a parochial to a more international and wide ranging civic nationalism. 

 

After the failed 1978 Scottish assembly referendum – there was broad movements for democratic renewal. Nairn marched every step of the way. He was deeply humane. He was both a poet and philosopher: he was a revolutionary and son of European culture. He was Professor of politics Melbourne. 

 

Clive Lewis

The conference brought voices from around all the four nations together.

*Green MP Caroline Lucas

English people also feel without a voice. Some cling to delusions and divisions – Brexit has deepened the crisis: every English region voted to leave. Who are the English? has been hijacked by the right. England is also the land of Tom Paine, chartists, suffragettes and ancient multi-cultural heritage. Is there another England – its urgent and important we must rediscover a new England Free these histories.

 

*Plaid Cymru MP Leanne Woods

Brexit vote expressed the democratic crisis – with our unelected elite making our decisions. Labour are about continuity and only so such devolution: its never enough. She spoke of the devastation of the miners  strikes and disaster, didn’t matter. Our binary outcomes – with PR, won’t go beyond red tie/ blue tie. Welsh devolution not more than the Welsh assembly and of the preservation and control from the centre. 

 

*CLVE LEWIS labour MP for Norwich south.

Who defied his labour whip to attend. He also spoke of the stories we tell ourselves. We need a new story of Britain – not the Enoch Powell (1950) version of ‘plucky Britain’. He spoke of the international questions and crisis and of viewing the crisis in the international context of the global elites who hoard the wealth. He said collaboration stopped at Westminster. Unawareness in the rest of UK of conversation of Scotland. Yorkshire flag – says they don’t want to be part of the elites. Labour won’t let discussion happen. Clive spoke of Corbyn – he had some good ideas but wrong messenger. Labour should embrace conversations – but can it seriously be changed from within?

 

*Lesley Riddoch, journalist and activist – Time to Create a new state.

There’s another state waiting: different conception of what Britain might be. Exceptionalism is falling apart. Riddoch was proud – and said, we’ve wasted so much time. It was good to get all perspectives. She spoke of Denmark, which used to control an empire but lost all of them 1864 in a terrible war. Scandinavia learned to let go without fighting. The problem in archaic British state is the divine right of kings is held with the PM, who can do as he likes.

There were also several break out rooms that covered topics such as – Irish re-unification, the monarchy, what next, Scotland in Europe. 

Hilary Wainwright said we must tear down the barricades (as in 1968) for democratic change. Or should we join Labour to make changes!” is this truly possible?? Is it British nationalism that has a problem – of denial, exceptionalism, and divisiveness. Britain denies nationalism. Scottish identity is not so deep rooted and has been stripped so often by Brittishness and empire. 

Scotland lacks agency and that’s not how a modern state functions. People should be active citizens. But can we reform the British state?

 

Nairn wrote that Scotland was the only county to jump ahead early 1700s, from a backward country to a trading and enlightened one. As a result of Walter Scott’s mythical novels – of a Scotland lost forever – Scottish literature lost its way in the 1800s. Scotland was not part of the rise of nationalism across Europe over the 1800s. 

 

Irish times journalist Fintan O’Toole writes that “Ireland only became truly independent with inter-dependence in Europe.” This may be a hard concept for British unionists to understand, that is the shared, co-operative project trading partnership of the EU.

II  As I left the conference to walk east along George st – the Hanoverian project – the long view is of the ugliest and tallest statue to the tyrant Henry Dundas, behind which is now the ugliest modern statue of the new Edina shopping centre, known as the Turd. Do these e statues and symbols matter?

 

Henry Dundas statue and the Turd behind

Vote for a fairer voting system and for democratic conversations across the UK. In Britain people are not trusted by politicians. 

The summer of democracy of 2014.... when reality came close to the dream….! 

Rewilding Alliance

 

Scotland is one of the worlds most depleted countries – with its huge areas of intensively managed and ecologically destroyed land.  

Rewild Scotland’s national parks – the Cairngorms and loch Lomond & Trossachs

 

Are not really nature reserves, with fake forests with dead undergrowth and the peatbogs (that could soak up carbon dioxide) have been burnt and drained. Scotland’s parks serves the needs of a select few. 

 

We must allow nature to thrive in our national parks, we live in times of both nature and climate crisis. Scotland has only % of natural forest. Our N should and could lead the way for nature and wildlife to recover.

I was surprised to learn that Japan has over 60% natural forests. Other countries of comparable size such as Denmark have 6 national parks. 

 

Glencoe

 

COP 26, Glasgow

COP 26 takes place in Glasgow, Scotland 31^st Oct to 12 November 2021, at the SEC Glasgow. Many road closures start on 23sd October. 

We are expecting great disruption to traffic, as well as demonstrations and all the extra security. 

 

I remember a drive in the natural forests of Fall in Massachusetts when I was blown away by the beauty and range of colours. Sadly the contrast in Scotland couldn’t be more stark, after depleting the natural forests to build trenches in the First World war, the UK Forestry Commission has built these squares of dark green conifers where there is dead undergrowth and no biodiversity can survive underneath. Some have burnt and nothing survives here.

 

Scotland has seen its resources depleted and destroyed over centuries. Like Ireland we suffered enforced emigration, particularly in the islands with the Highland and the Lowland clearances.  

In recent centuries humans have been disturbing the world’s natural habitats and wildlife – destroying forests, depleting fish stocks, burning fossil fuels, polluting our air. There are much fewer butterflies or insects and under many tress there is a dead undergrowth. 

Wonderful fall colours New England

Empty Glencoe

We’ve disturbed the habitat of bats, which has led to several recent world pandemics – SARS, Mers, Ebola, Swine flu and now Covid-19. This will continue, unless we all change our attitudes to selfishness and growth. 

In recent centuries humans have been disturbing the world’s natural habitats and wildlife – destroying forests, depleting fish stocks, burning fossil fuels, polluting our air. There are much fewer butterflies or insects and under many tress there is a dead undergrowth.

 

There are signs of hope – more people are cycling, more are reducing meat intake, more work at home, more people want to buy local. Its great to see families cycling on our quiet roads – is this the way forward? Any drugs or vaccines are only short term fixes, we must cure the source of these serious threats. More people die from air pollution, asthma and allergies than ever before.    If this virus has taught us anything, its that we depend on each other. We must urgently save our planet to save our own lives. 

 

**The Earth Shot award to Costa Rica – rewards landowners to restore forests and plant fruit trees. Celebrates its bicentennial of independence , a country of 5m able to build a sustainable future with healthy eco-systems.

*Food waste. A third of food is wasted. We need to go back to local shops for fresh foods. 91% live in areas of air pollution, at lest 7m are killed each year by air pollution. 

 

 **When is COP and when do travel restrictions begin?

 

COP26 will be held over two weeks from 31 October - 12 November 2021 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow. Road closures start a full week before on Saturday 23 October, and last until Monday 15 November.

 

Some roads within the SEC campus site are already closed.

Some days are expected to be busier than others, with the biggest disruption expected on Saturday 6 November which has been designated as the 

Global Day For Climate Justice.

About 100,000 protesters are expected in Glasgow, with a march which begins at Kelvingrove Park at noon before making its way to Glasgow Green for about 15:00.

 

 The hope is for Carbon Neutral by 2040.

**We all benefit from being in nature. 

Scotland can join other world leading nations, with its vast natural resources, as a leader in renewables. We also need to urgently change our attitudes to the crisis – we all must change how we behave and take the climate crisis seriously.”

 

“Every sovereign issuer in the world could agree to create up to 5% increase annual GDP in new  money and ring fence it for a revolutionary investment in referable energy generation, in carbon capture, climate science and protection of the worlds vulnerable ecosystems. This wouldn’t devalue the value of any single currency because if all nations act multilaterally the risk of an inflation crisis would be negligible. “

 

“Cop 26 means Glasgow can host the moment that the world changes direction and avert na environmental disaster and Scotland can be a leading light in helping realise the new global environmental zeitgeist.”  Gordon Macintyre Kemp

  

We must dare to dream we can build a better world – or we’ll have no planet left to save. 

 

Wildlife Photographer Peter Cairns

Loss of Biodiversity

 

Campsie hills

Urgent need to restore nature and make Conservation Pay

Urgent need to plant trees

 

World at 75% biodiversity

 

The UK at 53% biodiversity and in the bottom 10%.

 

The River Dee in Aberdeenshire: in the 1960s 40% of the young salmon returned up the river – today it is only 2%! Salmon are an indicator of how life is doing in our rivers. 

Fish suffer thermal stress above 23 degrees, our rivers are now at 26 degrees over the summer.  the river valley used to be 70/80% trees, now at 8% trees. 

There is a plan to plant one million trees along the river banks to provide shade. 

Natural Forrest multi-colours Fall New England

This devastating lack of trees in Scotland, with only 4% natural forests, is not only about industry here UK, but about wood for the trenches in the world war. Scotland has had its wildlife and forests plundered and exploited, with its empty glens and often only one tree.

We are killing our Eco System

I heard we’d have birdless skies. On my walks in the marshlands and moors near the Campsies in the summer sunshine, I noticed I cannot see any white butterflies. When I drove over on the M8 to Edinburgh my windscreen used to be covered in dead insects, but not anymore. What is going on? I read of sea lice in Scottish farmed salmon; disposable clothes; of the coral reef disappearing; of children dying of air pollution; and of the plastic choking our beaches and killing life in our oceans. 

What are we doing? What are we thinking? Why aren’t the manufacturers going sustainable, the way we used to be? Why are governments not enforcing Green laws? My instinct always told me that organic and free range was best: these pesticides get into breast milk. 

My mother used to grow her own vegetables. When I was growing up we had strawberries in cardboard punnets; potatoes in dirt sacks (they lasted longer and were fresher this way); fish and meat in greaseproof paper; milk in glass bottles; fruit in brown paper bags. Yes there was life before plastic!  

Now I am astonished at the amount of plastic myself and my husband generate each day. We are in an area that recycles, and I have cut down on my use of plastic bin bags – but it’s really not enough. We’ve been a reckless, thoughtless society. I live in the suburbs of Glasgow and instead of having natural garden habitat or trees, some are concreting over their gardens. We are building houses here on marshland (with the threat of rising sea levels) with no sustainable infrastructure. Who is agreeing to all this? We’ve become a throw away, wasteful world.

I was so pleased to see our young people finally take to the streets in large numbers in Friday, to protest at our selfish carelessness. Scotland has been leading the way in renewables energy – while the UK government has been cutting the funding. We must all work together to save our planet, protect our wildlife and children in poverty. 

Yet the news today is full of a foolhardy Brexit – which is about saving our out-dated, not fit for purpose UK political system. In the big scheme of things, what is really important for the future for our children and grandchildren - sustaining health and life as we know it – or saving the British Tory party? Let's go natural!