Unemployment fell in Scotland on yesterday’s new figures, while it rose everywhere else in the United Kingdom. There is no doubt that the difference was caused by the fact that the Scottish government has a (limited) ability to effectively spend forward and thus postpone the results of the Osborne public spending cuts. But the interesting result of that, is that the employment increase in Scotland was in the private sector, not the public sector, while private sector employment fell in England.
The Osborne theory – that public sector employment “crowds out” private sector employment, and cutting public sector jobs will somehow automatically increase the production of private sector jobs – appears, in this large scale example in the actual UK economy – the opposite of the truth. Cutting public sector jobs cuts private sector jobs too. That is intuitively correct – people who have just lost their job, their car and their home are going to be spending less buying things from other people.
As Miliband’s appearance before the TUC reminds us, the truth is that, were New Labour in power, the difference between what Osborne is doing and what New Labour would do is very marginal indeed. Only in Scotland do the voters have a real alternative, and they have flocked to it in droves.
While some old people will die this winter because they cannot afford to heat their homes, the Westminster government has had no trouble at all in finding over £100 billion to burn in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, in the interests of the wealthy elite in charge of a few mega-corporations. These wars have been solidly supported by all the unionist parties, with a brief wobble by the Lib Dems under the good Charlie Kennedy, quickly disposed of.
The SNP have provided the only electable alternative to extreme neo-conservative policy (including neo-liberal economic policy) available to electors in the UK. They have had stunning electoral success as a result. The Lib Dems were perceived briefly in England as opposing the neo-cons, with some justice, but were hijacked by the right wing Clegg, and their wider leadership was bought up by the present and future riches office brings in our corrupt system. But in the period the Lib Dems did seem an alternative to the neo-con Tory and New Labour parties, they rose to new heights of popularity and support.
The almost 100% correlation today between unionism and neo-conservatism among professional politicians and media pundits is why I am absolutely confident Scotland will achieve independence very soon. That neo-con recipe is well and truly rejected by the Scottish people.
But where does that leave a newly independent England? (presumably still attached to Wales, but I leave that and Irish union aside) Political progressives in England have traditionally been the most hostile to English independence because England would have a permanent Tory majority.
Well, I am not so sure it would. Only ten years ago Scotland seemed to have a permanent New Labour majority. Things change. But also, how thick do so-called progressives have to be, not to see that New Labour is absolutely another neo-con party?
Who launched the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Who introduced university tuition fees? Who brought in control orders and 28 days detention? Who sanctioned kettling? Who gave unimaginable sums of your money to the bankers? Who massively expanded the Private Finance Initiative? Who invented Academy schools? Who was complicit in torture and extraordinary rendition? Who presided over the greatest ever growth in the gap between rich and poor in this country? Answers: New Labour, New Labour, New Labour, New Labour, New Labour, New Labour, New Labour, New Labour and
New Labour.
The truth is that, within the union, there is no practical chance for England to have any government other than a government of neo-cons. It needs a seismic shift to break this up. What we have seen is that the party system is resilient even to moments when its corruption is revealed to all, as in the MPs’ expenses and Murdoch scandals. The United Kingdom as an entity is in the power of a corrupt political class controlled by corporations, for whom perpetual war, hydrocarbon dominance worldwide and access at will to taxpayers’ pockets are the necessary conditions of their existence. Only a truly seismic shock in the political landscape can save the English from this. That much-needed shock can be the break-up of the United Kingdom. Who knows how politics in England would fall out afterwards, but it cannot be worse. A shake of the kaleidoscope is a moment of great potential. England needs that.
Farage and UKIP – no thanks
The new country will be called Trotuk – the remainder of the UK.
Or Trot-uk and the SWP could run it!
Hmm. Couldnt disagree more, Craig, as you might guess. As a half-scot, half-english citizen living in Scotland, I hold on to that ethics which is not restricted or diverted by some line on a map. If something bad is happening to people in Dundee and in Bolton, both are equally deserving of compassion and support. Therefore, if people in England are/will be suffering because of Lansley’s grotesque mutilation of the NHS I feel just as outraged as if it were happening on my doorstep. People are stronger when they work together; an independent Scotland would please the megacorporations no end, and global financiers would be rubbing their hands with glee.
Cue the sneers.
Mike,
I don’t think you address my argument. I don’t in any way claim that people in Dundee deserve better services than people in Bolton. I am arguinng that only the break up of the UK might lessen the grip of neo-cons on Westminster, thus helping the people of Dundee and Bolton.
“Who launched the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?”
Don’t overlook Yugoslavia – quicker and thus less bloody but in some ways more shocking, as it was the first of Blair’s wars, and the closest to home, and also, if I’m not mistaken, the first demonstration that NATO had torn up its charter and morphed from defensive alliance into aggressive attack dog.
If the myth that Kosovo* was a ‘good’ war is allowed to persist, people will always be able to say Iraq was an exception, that humanitarian bombing can be a valid concept. You see them saying it now, trying to justify Libya.
Excuse me, I have to go puke.
*note: I say ‘Kosovo’ but NATO bombed Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria during those weeks. I forget if they got Macedonia or Albania too. Very likely.
But to get back on topic, losing Scotland would weaken the UK as a force for evil in international affairs. That alone makes it worthwhile, though I’d vote for it for other reasons anyway.
(As a Scot by ancestry but not residence I probably wouldn’t have a vote but I’d be in the queue for a passport if I qualified.)
The link given yesterday to Lies of the Libyan War, Counterpuch, shows exactly who dictates UK foreign policy, the Zionist Bankers who refused to allow Gaddaffi to fund 0% interest loans to Africa using Libyan oil wealth.
Scotsman Brown was just as incapable of seeing the problem as Craig. My mind is tired with trying to work out why this Scottish dullard political class is blind to the toxic effect of interest, and the poison of being blackmailed by Zionist money.
Maybe it’s because they really don’t want the English to succeed, racism, unconscious or otherwise.
It reminds me of a story about my father. His whole life he was fit and healthy and would eat any type of food put in front of him, chile, curry etc. His second wife was Scottish, and she decided to put him on a 100% oats diet. Oat biscuits, oat soup etc. Within a few weeks he was suffering from sickness and the symptoms of a very inflamed digestive system.
Just because we have always borrowed money from Jewish Bankers and they have always got us through crises in the past, doesn’t mean you can put your entire economy on an interest only diet, on the theory that it’s good for you. Britain has flourished in the past in spite of the toxic effects of interest. Socialism and capitalism are both equally capable of being thoroughly abused. We deal with the consequences of this abuse.
But we cannot deal with or cope with the tax of interest going to third parties whose ideas are directly opposed to our own, who then dictate to us to do terrible things that are completely against our own national interests, like attack Afghanistan and Iraq and Libya.
I’m extremely pissed off with Craig’s denial of this cornerstone of the UK’s malaise. It’s really like talking to a brick wall.
Inshallah if all the Scottish economic zombies, with Gaelic intonations that sound as though the speaker understands what they’re talking about like Gordon Brown, get up behind Hadrian’s Wall, we can get some sense going here in England. I can go up and piss on the wall from time to time for a day’s outing near Carlisle.
Craig, I just cannot agree, nor do I with Quelcrime above; separation would create a rump state where not only would the Tories and the right exercise political dominance, they would do so in an atmosphere untroubled by the captious comments of Scots. The UK as a force for evil in international affairs? – without Scotland, the gloves would be off.
Excellent post – We are prepared for the shake – .
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/UK-Collapse/235831909768344?sk=info
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Join us.
Well said Craig as ever.
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This good Scotsman John Hilley writes of where BBCspeak for bomb attacks on Libya = air strikes.
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BBC simplified-speak
Posted by John Hilley on September 15, 2011, 11:02 am
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The violence of neutralised BBC language – usually nestled in the middle of such pieces – and how to mask Nato’s crimes in one conveyable sentence:
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“Nato has been carrying out air strikes under a mandate from two UN resolutions to protect Libyan civilians.”
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14926308
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John Hilley’s blog is [http://johnhilley.blogspot.com}
I don’t sneer, Mike Cobley, lines on a map, and Craig knows this was how the imperialists carved up Africa, can be the biggest barrier to friendship and integration, cutting across tribal homelands, separating families and abolishing traditional ties. It was also the cause of much trouble in the island of Ireland
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I agree with Craig that New Labour is more like New Tory (or even old Tory) and there appear to be no alternatives (unless the Green Party suddenly becomes electable). But assume Scotland was independent, and successfully independent under the SNP, which is questionable, it would be impractical to have the SNP elected in English constituencies, even if it were desirable, unless they changed their name. And separating or segmenting these Islands into four entities is taking a retrograde step based on lines on a map.
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It is encouraging that Scotland is bucking the trend nationally with unemployment figures; encouraging that there are no university fees and other positive signs. I don’t want to sound Churchillian by talking about English-speaking nations, but there is a tendency in nationalist parties to become too insular (back to Gaelic, etc) and all the progressive integration that has taken place over the last century could be lost in a passion of nationalist fervour.
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Hitler was popular and made popular decisions of which his countrymen and women were proud. Let’s not forget that his party was a nationalist party, and Germany, surrounded by imperialist countries, eventually wanted to spread this nationalist goodwill elsewhere. And no, I don’t believe Alex Salmond wants that, and nor does Craig.
Mr Hogan-Howe means business I think. Let’s hope things improve vis-à-vis the Met’s dealings with the public and the media.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14931067
Off Topic:
them americans sure love their right to renditions dont they?
http://www.prisonplanet.com/exclusive-naturalnews-obtains-documents-proving-fda-abducted-an-american-citizen-in-illegal-war-against-herbal-cancer-cures.html
‘If the myth that Kosovo* was a ‘good’ war is allowed to persist, people will always be able to say Iraq was an exception, that humanitarian bombing can be a valid concept. You see them saying it now, trying to justify Libya.’
Couldn’t agree more, Quelcrime. All wars are disgusting. There is no such thing as a ‘good war’ unless you are an arms dealer. The day dealing in arms becomes a crime will be a blessing for mankind.
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Yet you then go on to propose divisions by proposing a separate Scotland to where you would emigrate. That baffles me.
War criminals Cameron and Sarkozy are visiting Libya.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14926308
Johann Hari has fessed up for plagiarising, inventing comments from interviewees and altering Wikipedia pages etc. and is going to the US for ‘journalism training’. Incredible.
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http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1316022329.html
John Goss makes the mistake of assuming that an independent Scotland would automatically be ruled over by the SNP – this isn’t the case. A newly independent Scotland would be governed by whatever party the Scottish electorate votes for in general elections.
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Equating the Scottish electorate in a newly independent Scotland with Nazi Germany and, somehow, equating the SNP and Alex Salmond with Hitler, is a sign of how desperate British nationalist imperialist are. It just shows they’ve no rational arguments, just demonising propaganda.
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It is propaganda typical of British imperialism down the ages. If it wasn’t for the civilising effects of the Oxbridge-London Whitehall mandarin class then the natives would be too stupid to govern themselves properly and would start civil wars, unless some kind of Hitler-esque saviour arose to rule over their querulous factions. And anyway, the natives are too poor to afford independence from the British Empire, and need the British taxpayer to subsidise their expensive way of life.
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Really, there’s nothing more insular, backwards and unchanging than how the Oxbridge-London elite views the rest of an outside world which they naturally regard as their birthright to rule over and administer.
Maybe we should all knock our heads together and demand Independence for the UK from whoever is pulling our levers at present.
Most Scots would like Independence but fear that we will jump from one frying pan to another, unless it is total independence, something that never gets aired in the media or by the SNP.
A lot of people want to start independence with a clean slate, others want to be in the EU from day one.
Mary, “War criminals Cameron and Sarkozy are visiting Libya.”
It used to be said that they “always return to the scene of the crime”.
Well it’s quite a novelty, Joe Kane, for an internationalist to be equated with British nationalist imperialists and I shall savour the moment for a millisecond or two.
When do I get my new passport ??
Deception Rules…
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The Zionist idiom of ‘making the best of a bad situation’ is working well so far for the Arab Spring. The military have effectively stalled true democratic advancement in Egypt and protests and demonstrations in Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain have been contained by Saudi brute force, while minor skirmishes in Saudi itself have been repressed by torture and imprisonment.
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Britain and France have gained an estimated $60 billion in oil contracts and plans are set for a huge Anglo/French military base in Libya. Syria has been a struggle for the Neo-Con subversion and deception despite foreign fighters and a foreign-funded media group that fabricated videos of demonstrations, repressions and killings by the Syrian security forces.
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http://www.shoah.org.uk/2011/09/06/foreign-linked-syrian-admits-deception/
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The fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government has been prevented by Iranian intelligence according to my own knowledge and the Iranian ambassador to Libya is right now expanding bilateral cooperation with the NTC. Iran has thus put a spoke in the Neo-Con wheel and sabotaged the elites own revolution. The West will now attempt to divert Iran’s attention with a monstrous increase in terrorist activities within Iran’s own borders.
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Right now the opposing forces are in balance, sensitive to global consciousness. Public opinion matters, you matter; your voice can steer the outcome at this crucial time. I hope you make the right choice.
What are the chances of Marshall Law or something similar if people in Scotland vote yes for independence?
What are the chances of Marshall Law or something similar if people in Scotland vote yes for independence?
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Nil.
When do I get my new passport ??
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A new EU passport to replace your old EU passport?
It is not independence for England that’s required, its independence for British regions. Scotland has the focus to achieve independence, but it’s the other poor parts of England that will suffer further as a result.
It’s time to start a Northern Party.
Thanks John Goss. I notice you don’t engage with my arguments.
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Supporting the British state isn’t internationalism.
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It’s a delusion common amongst Brits that they aren’t insular and parochial, and anyone who doesn’t want to be ruled over by the British Establishment and its Whitehall mandarin class is.
Craig is absolutely right, England has been ruled by a British ruling class, in which the Scots and Anglo Irish played a very important role, for a couple of centuries. The importance of Scots and Irish had something to do with the exceedingly, even by pre 1832 English standards, tightly controlled Parliamentary seats.
And then there is the Jingo factor: Little England is the remedy for imperialist delusions and neo-imperialist crime. The closer people are to government, the smaller the constituencies and the more frequent elections are the better things should be.
(In case anyone feels that US House elections every two years prove otherwise, recollect that there are only about 430 Members of that House and 310 million inhabitants- the constituencies are deliberately made too large for democracy to be a threat.)
It wouldn’t be the first time tanks were on the streets of Scotland.
Glasgow 1919 ,
Initially, the writ of the Workers Council ran little further than the City Hall but as the day moved on, more of the city pledged support for what was already becoming known as the Glasgow Soviet. A critical element of support came from a battalion of soldiers stationed at Maryhill, which executed its own officers and formed a “Red Guard” to defend the Soviet.
In London, the news of the events in Glasgow had been received with fear and disbelief. The Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, contacted Home Secretary George Cave who immediately agreed that this “revolution”, as he called it, had to be suppressed “with the full ferocity of the law”. However, it soon became clear that the Glasgow Police force had either melted away or joined the Soviet along with a number of soldiers and sailors.
Throughout the war, a force of some 10,000 soldiers had been retained in England specifically to deal with any internal civil unrest or disaster. This force was ordered to Glasgow along with tanks. The force was made up of wholly English troops, as Cave and Lloyd George believed that Scottish forces would not be reliable. Indeed, news of the Glasgow Soviet had led to sporadic mutinies and unrest in other Scottish regiments.
The Army faced disruption as it approached Glasgow with roadblocks in place and the rail system disrupted. Soldiers were met with jeers and stones in Airdrie and Motherwell and, worryingly for the Government, some desertions were reported.
On February 4th, the army moved into Glasgow and met heavy resistance from soldiers and workers. The fighting soon became disorganised as the outgunned strikers used their knowledge of the city and its streets to slow up the advance of the Army. Tanks were attacked and put out of action and casualties were high on both sides. The Army was forced to shell the centre of the city including the railway station, post office and city hall. Slowly, the Army fought its way into the city centre but had to contest every yard.
For the Soviet leaders, the military response had come as no surprise and they had hurriedly planned a resistance based on the shipyards and the streets. They were outgunned despite the Scottish battalion of around 900 men, which fought bravely to slow up the advance of the Army.
By the early hours of February 7th, the Army was in the City Centre. The fighting was ferocious in the ruins of the key buildings. Some of the Soviet leaders opted for flight but MacLean and McManus stayed in the City Hall until the end. Just after dawn, English troops broke through the last line of resistance and occupied the City Hall after a fierce battle during which MacLean and McManus were killed. The fighting continued in the shipyards for a further two days during which most of the dockyard installations were sabotaged or destroyed in the fighting.
The Soviet never knew how close it came to winning the battle. George Cave was ready to withdraw troops and negotiate once the reserves had been committed. There was no formal surrender – the Soviet simply dissolved into the streets. The Army proclaimed martial law and occupied the city. Hundreds were arrested and put on trial for treason. The memorial to the 135 executed strikers still stands in the courtyard of Barlinnie prison