BLOODY HELL

BLOODY HELL!

It's a strange day indeed when I find myself in agreement with the leader of the Tory party, but that's exactly where I am today.

In a speech in Glasgow Mr.Cameron has acknowledged the errors his party has made in Scotland and called for more understanding of Scots from the English. I never imagined that when a Sassenach politician finally addressed the behaviours, attitudes and policies which helped create so many Nationalists it would be a Tory. It is particularly ironic that it comes so close to Scot and likely soon-to-be Labour leader Gordon Brown made another statement of his Unionist credentials, even going so far as to cite Margaret Thatcher as his role model!

That this is a clear appeal to the sort of "sour Little Englander" Mr.Cameron talks of (for a perfect example of whom see the response to my entry about the World Cup furore) is neither surprising nor new from any Unionist politician. What is new is a Tory risking offending what has to be seen as his core voters.

Labour has always thrown sops Scotland's way. It makes sense for them to keep us predominantly Labour-voting as it swings the result their way if the polls are close in England. At the same time they blocked our desire for any degree of self-determination far more effectively than the Conservatives ever did because they need a compliant Scotland in the Union.

Conversely, the Tories treated us with complete contempt because they could never swing enough voters in Scotland to make a difference to them. So we had our industries stripped and taken South and we were used, as Cameron admits, as a test-bed for new policies.

So, is this a heartfelt apology and change of attitude from the Conservatives? Naah! They see a potential close vote in which actually winning some seats up here might help them gain control of Westminster again. I bet the smug little git won't dare stand up and repeat those sentiments at a party meeting in the Home Counties. I doubt if they're even being reported in either the English or national media.

Besides, did he do anything to stamp on the anti-Scottish rantings of his senior party members during that World Cup nonsense? Did he even distance himself from them?

Did he hell.