Election fall-out

Tuesday January 7th 2020

Christine Grahame MSP

Christine Grahame MSP writes her monthly column for Midlothian View.

Election fall-out

However you voted in the 2019 General Election Scotland has once again moved further from the politics of England. 48 MPs for the SNP, 8 for the Conservatives, 4 Liberal Democrats and 1 Labour. Scotland voted 62% Remain 38% Leave and in the EU elections out of the 6 Scottish MEPs 3 are SNP, 1 Conservative, 1 Lib Dem, 1 Brexit. In the Scottish Parliament the SNP 63 MSPs the Conservatives 31.

Yet Boris Johnson claims a mandate to block allowing Scotland a choice, I repeat simply a choice whether or not to become Independent is simply undemocratic. What more does he need the Scottish voter to do? With just 8 as opposed to 48 MPs where is his mandate?

Ah but Christine I hear you say this was a UK election, up with it you must put. Get Brexit Done. Unite the Nation.

Let’s unpick those slogans. Get Brexit Done. What does that mean. Let’s place Boris in the witness box. We “come out” of the EU on January 31st. Please expand Mr Johnson. Trading arrangements? I see, a transition period which must end, because you have passed legislation to that effect, in 2020. What then? Trade deals with the EU and the big wide world beyond? How long did those trade deals with the EU take for say Canada? 7 years! Oops. The alternative is no EU deal by 2020 and WTO rules. Big big problem.

Then there’s “Unite the Nation” Hmm which nation? Let me see and I think you would agree, England is a nation, Scotland is a nation, Wales a Principality and Northern Ireland part of the UK. When did the UK become a “nation”? UK stands for United Kingdom not United Nation that’s already taken. For the wordsmith BJ, this is either sloppy use of language, or wilful perjury. On the evidence and beyond reasonable doubt, I find him guilty of the latter.

On domestic policy (by that he means England) he has made outrageous promises; to end the care crisis (in England) No details of course. It seems he has scraped that promise off the side of that bus. To the North, Manchester etc, he will gift goodies to thank them for rejecting Labour. We’ll see how that pans out.

For Scotland it’s nyet to this and nyet to that. Bad bad Scotland for rejecting his cultivated ruffled hair, his exposed shirt tail and buffoonery.

Give him credit for succeeding ( In England) with his USP after all Churchill had his cigar and Wilson his pipe and Gannex raincoat. Did you know Wilson wasn’t really a pipe smoker? Bet Boris tousles his hair just for on-stage!

In the meantime, in the Real World the biggest growth area is Food banks and the Scottish Government continues to spend millions mitigating poverty driven by Tory benefit cuts: Bedroom Tax protection, Welfare Fund with Crisis grants and so on. No wonder we have chosen a different our political landscape. Choice is the key word. We have chosen our MPs, our MSPs and our MEPs and they are not Tory nor indeed Labour.

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