THE BOOTS ON THE OTHER FOOT

THE BOOT’S ON THE OTHER FOOT

I’ve been watching the increasing bitchiness of the English towards Scotland since the advent of devolution and I am actually rather worried by the increase in resentment, bigotry and racism it seems to have provoked in our southern neighbours. The recent nonsense about the World Cup is bringing it to the fore, especially in the media who have, as usual, been reporting it all from an entirely Sassenach point of view.

Of course, now that I’ve said that it will be assumed that I am the kind of parochial Scot that they portray us all to be, but isn’t that exactly the point? I make no bones about being a nationalist. I became a nationalist almost as a direct result of the ‘British’ media’s bias against my nation and years of listening to the English use the words ‘British’ and ‘English’ as synonyms. I first recall really noticing it during an Olympic games in the 70s when any English athlete’s success was hailed as a success for England whilst Scots, Welsh & Irish successes were for Britain. Remember the humiliating footage we were all subjected to after out football fans’ celebration at Wembley? Yes, it was out of order but all it was was a pitch invasion that resulted in some broken goalposts and a bit of missing turf. The constant use of the images and the language used to describe the jubilant fans was so vitriolic it instilled a sense of national shame in Scotland so deep that it actually had the effect of seriously inhibiting the spread of football hooliganism in Scotland.

Surely that’s a good thing? Well, yes. Of course it is, but it was not the media’s intention. They were enjoying portraying Scots as a barbarian horde of thugs, vandals and outright scum. Where is that vitriol when their fans’ behaviour results in running street battles, riots and even deaths? The media then always seem to find a way to portray the trouble as poor English boys defending themselves from Johnny-foreigner and his corrupt English-hating police.

And so to the current series of games. Scots have never supported England in any competition. Many have tried to pass it off as a bit of light-hearted banter, but it’s much more deep-seated than that. Our neighbours have spent centuries attempting to subsume, destroy and belittle our country, our people, our culture and our heritage. In school, after I began to notice the media’s bias towards the south, I began to notice the cultural and historical subversion Scots were suffering. Our national heroes were portrayed as usurpers, murderers and outlaws. ‘British’ history covers such topics as the Magna Carta, the Battle of Hastings, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War (which was actually a British civil war but never mind) and even today Scottish children can tell you all about these things. They all happened before there was a Union but you’d be forgiven for thinking that we were a part of them since the dawn of time and our kings were traitors fighting against their lawful monarchs. Teach Scottish children about the formation of Scotland by Kenneth MacAlpin from Alba? The truth about Macbeth? The Declaration of Arbroath? James Graham? When Bannockburn took place and why it was important? The Scottish Enlightenment? Of course not. Why is it that the exploits of the English national teams are on the national news, but those from the other countries in the Union barely rate a mention? Surely England’s results should be in regional broadcasts? Mentioned nationally, certainly, but at the same level Scotland’s football results are and then looked in more depth in the regional broadcasts. Because, despite the average Englishman’s perception of the country, England is one region of four in the Union and should be treated as such.

So, of course, we harbour some resentment towards them. However, it is resentment towards them as a nation, not as individuals. Someone, somewhere has made the decision to stir up English resentment towards Scotland and this series of games has been the spurtle they’re using. Throw in the oft-repeated claims of over-subsidisation and the spurious sophistry of the so-called West Lothian Question and you can whip up the Sun & Star-reading sections of the English masses to a level of hatred that allows some down South to pave the way to enhancing their own political power. It’s also being used as a justification for the racism coming from much more important and worrying quarters than some football fans getting beaten up by the kind of brain-dead thug who was, frankly, just looking for someone to pick a fight with anyway. Mr Blair says that our attitude is a disgrace and that we should always be ready to support our neighbours. Oh aye? Let’s see the English support France sometime, then. Actually, as Scotland historically had closer political ties with France than with England maybe we’re not wrong in choosing to support them over England. We did in several wars after all. Were the death threats against Andy Murray for being Scottish and not supporting England ever reported as racist? Don’t be silly, they were made by English people and they can’t be racist against Scots. The Racial Equality Commission has said so repeatedly in statements where they have refused to support Scots in claims of race discrimination. What about the Scots who have been attacked in England just because of their accents during the world cup? Where are the reports about that on the national news? Oh, that’s right; it’s not happening, is it?

Politicians like the Conservative David Davies talking about restricting the rights of Scottish MPs to vote in the British parliament, of reducing our representation in that national body and saying that it is against the British Constitution (when did we get one of those, by the way?) for a Scot to be Prime Minister of Britain, this is real racism and far more serious than us not supporting your national football team. Take one of these English MPs’ statements and substitute the word Asian or Muslim or Black for Scottish and see how they sound then. Yet our politicians are fighting a losing battle in trying to justify our non-support of them in this tournament rather than pointing out and combating this blatant racism. Why? The aforementioned centuries of being told how inferior we are has made a deep psychological scar on our national psyche. We actually believe we’re not good enough so we defend ourselves and apologise for having the temerity to want to take control of our own affairs and to have a reasonable say in the governing of the whole country. Any actual defence of the position of nationalism is jumped upon and portrayed as a defence of racism.

The West Lothian Question which is being used as such a motivation for this resentment towards, and restriction of, Scotland’s political position is not the great conundrum it’s made out to be. Yes; it is unfair that Scots MPs get to vote on English matters. Just like its been unfair that English MPs who outnumber all the other nations’ MPs by a huge margin have been doing to the rest of us for the entire existence of the Union. During the last Tory government they packed the Scottish debates with English MPs to force their measures on us despite having been almost completely voted out of our country. We’ve had centuries of their policies being forced on us and the only time the votes of Scots MPs have influenced an English matter is when it has been a close vote between the English MPs. We just don’t have enough MPs to create more than the slightest influence on English policy. Resentment at the high-handed way the Tories forced their policies on Scotland despite having absolutely no mandate to do so helped to fuel the demands for devolution. (Isn’t it odd that it’s those same Tories who are now whining about Scotland’s Westminster MPs?) All we really got out of Devolution was essentially another toon cooncil, but there’s hope for the future. There is only one reason why Scots MPs should continue to have a vote on English matters. The English have chosen not to have regional assemblies to take control of them.

Why should this be so? Only one region has had a vote on gaining its own assembly and it was overwhelmingly rejected? Given this resentment towards Scotland why should they refuse the chance to take that fictional control away from Scots?

Simple: most English people already believe they have an English parliament.

It comes back to that basic failure to comprehend the difference between England and Britain, a form of blindness the English share only with foreigners who at least have the excuse of having always been told by the English that the two are the same thing. The shameful thing is that the English believe this so deeply that they cannot see the genuine and justified anger and resentment it causes the rest of us in the Union. From the constant referral to things like the Queen of England, the English Parliament and English money, none of which exist, through the forcing of English agendas and attitudes on the rest of us each one causes us to move away from them.

Please do go ahead and take control of your own education and health policies. Please do it in such a way that the fictional notion that Scots are somehow already controlling these matters and causing all the failures in these areas is completely dispelled. A word of warning, though; If you do it by making the Scots, Welsh and Irish (the others must eventually be included in these proscriptions as only talking about Scotland makes the race issue much clearer at the moment) second class members of the British Parliament you will simply make the Independence movements stronger.

Actually, go ahead and do it your way, Mr Davies. I want to be independent.