Douglas MacQueen's blog

It is interesting to see that the Scottish independence debate has moved on to the issue of oil. This week saw UK Prime Minister David Cameron donning his hard hat and visiting the oil industry in Scotland. At first sight I thought this was an interesting new twist in the referendum campaign. That Cameron had made a flying visit up here to apologise for the fact that the UK had spent decades squandering this natural asset. Maybe say ‘thanks Scotland’ for all the years of bankrolling Britain with the revenue raised by oil.

The Scottish Independence Referendum Campaign has exposed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for what many think it really is, the English Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).  They appear to have lowered their thin veil of neutrality in regard to the Scottish Independence Referendum Campaign. This was demonstrated clearly during UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s recent ‘Day Trip’ to Scotland in a crude attempt to bully Scottish voters to vote against independence. 

United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s bullying statements on currency union are starting to backfire. The revolting spectacle of English Tory Osborne being joined by Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls and Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander to try and intimidate Scotland’s voters did not go down well. The Scottish National Party leader and Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has described the joint attack from the United Kingdom political parties as “a concerted bid by a Tory-led Westminster establishment to bully and intimidate". 

As the Scottish anti-independence campaign crumbles United Kingdom (or ‘Greater England’ as it is now increasingly known) Prime Minister, David Cameron, decides to intervene to disastrous effect. Deciding that pressure should be put on those ‘troublesome Scots’ , as many English have always thought of them, UK Prime Minister Cameron has called for those living outside of Scotland to tell the Scottish people to vote against independence.

As reported in the Welsh newspaper the Daily Post one of the few remaining bibles originally printed in Welsh is to return to the birthplace of its translator Bishop William Morgan. After being bought by the National Trust the bible, printed in 1588, will go on show at the home of William Morgan at Ty Mawr, Wybrnant in Penmachno near Betws-y-Coed.

As long suspected by Scotland's pro-independence ‘Yes‘ campaigners a new report has confirmed BBC bias toward the ‘No‘ camp. The two main culprits are the BBC and STV according to the new academic study carried out by researchers at University of West Scotland as reported by ‘newsnetscotland‘ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/8598-broadcasters....

As reported in the Irish Times on January 16, 2014, a committee of the Council of Europe has criticised the Stormont Assembly for hostility toward the Irish language. Stormont, which currently has political control over the north east of Ireland, was accused of a “persisting hostile climate”.

United kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron’s reluctance to debate idependence with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is starting to become an issue with Scotland‘s voters. In a poll commisioned by the Scottish National Party carried out by Panelbase in December 63% of people in Scotland wanted this debate. Even across the UK a majority of 56% thought a referendum debate should take place.

Divisions are again beginning to emerge in the anti-independence ‘No‘ vote campaign. The pro-union supporters have long been criticised for their very negative campaign stance. Comprising of Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and others who oppose independance the ‘Better Together‘ ‘No‘ grouping have been seen as over concentrating their efforts on adopting scaremongering tactics rather than constructive arguements in favour of keeping Scotland within the United kingdom.

Yves Gounin, ex-chief of staff of the French Minister of European Affairs, wrote in the journal Politique Étrangère, that Catalonia and Scotland should be immeditaely admitted into the European Union upon independance. His arguements come at a time of increased scaremongering by the British and Spanish Government’s as the pro-independance movements in Scotland and Catalonia gain momentum.