The Guardian reflects the metropolitan London world of New Labour, and nothing else. Its coverage of the referendum, particularly by Severin Carrell, achieved the remarkable feat of being even less fair and containing even more lies than the Scotsman. But if you want really to get inside the mind of Labour, the Guardian remains the place to go to know what the Labour elite – London’s Balls, Cooper, Miliband, Harman, Umunna, Jowell etc. are thinking.
Right now they are thinking of how to take power after they lose the election. And the Guardian’s article on this subject indicates exactly how they are thinking in the illustrating picture. The Labour Party’s ideal political world is a world without Celts.
Not just no SNP and no Plaid, but not even the SDLP. There has been a remarkable silence from the SDLP while the party whose whip they follow has wrapped itself in the Union Jack, declared that nationalism is totally incompatible with Labour, and refused even to speak to Plaid Cymru and the SNP. What does the SDLP make of this renunciation of nationalism? Do they go along with it?
It is quite possible to be a Celt without being a Nationalist – and anyway most Scots are not Celts. Some forget that Northumbria which included Yorkshire, Northumberland and the bits of Scotland where most people lived predated Scotland by many centuries. If you actually believe in ethnic unions then the Picts can have the Highlands and that is about it. On the other hand some might just believe that recreating such arbitrary divisions is just nonsense both economically and politically.
Craig: there are plenty of voters in Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish constituencies who are not Celts. Scottish (and other) Unionists – amongst whom I count myself – are badly served by English politicians who say that Scottish SNP MPs have no legitimate interest in influencing Westminster politics. A good way for Conservative MPs to win back seats in Scotland would be for them to hold out the prospect of a UK that did not wish to deploy WMDs. That would be, for them, a hefty price to pay to keep the UK united. But they might also consider that losing Scotland is a hefty price to pay for continuing to deploy WMDs.
Give Craig a break for God’s sake – he’s not saying everybody in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are strictly ethnically “Celts” anymore than everybody in England are either Angles (Danish) or Saxons (North Germans)!
Hmmm…I guess David Cameron is one Celt that Labour would like out of the picture:) Is nationalism compatible with socialism? Well there’s National Socialism, of course.
Where Craig says “Celts,” think “non-English”, and it all makes perfect sense, says this Celtic Irish-American.
I agree with your point, Craig, in as much as politics tends to be Londonocentric (is that even a word?:), though. I don’t think it’s just Scotland and Wales that successive governments have cut adrift, though. What about the north of England, for instance? Some areas there are amongst the poorest, underprivileged and marginalised in the whole of Britain.
Since London is Londinium in Latin, I think the word would be “Londinocentric”.
Cameron may have a few drops of Scottish (and Welsh) blood, but I don’t think it amounts to enough to make him a Celt. Apart from a few months spent in Hong Kong when it was still a colony, I don’t think he’s ever lived outside of England, indeed, outside of the home counties plus Oxfordshire.
“A good way for Conservative MPs to win back seats in Scotland would be for them to hold out the prospect of a UK that did not wish to deploy WMDs. That would be, for them, a hefty price to pay to keep the UK united. But they might also consider that losing Scotland is a hefty price to pay for continuing to deploy WMDs.”
But not at this election Iain. In fact I doubt the Blue Tories can win back seats in Scotland, and after this election there might not be a single Red Tory seat north of the border. For people like me, who did not want to see separation for Scotland until it became clear that its example could be an lesson for all south of the border, I shall be happy for my friends in Scotland.
Shipbuilders on the Clyde were part of the backbone of the Labour movement throughout these islands. They were part of the great union movement that shortened the working week, increased the age at which children should start work, brought in safety protection and many other worker benefits. I had the privilege to work with a former convenor of Dalmuir Royal Ordnance Factory, a very good toolmaker, and excellent orator. He could not get a job outside of small contract toolrooms because he was blacklisted by the establishment. This is what needs stamping out – the persecution of people like Arthur Scargill and Derek Robinson and others because they have tried to save industries.
Why no mention of Sinn Fein?
It is more Celtic than all the others – what the killers of Jock Davison are counting on.
As Sinn Fein don’t take their seats at Westminster, they aren’t going to be a factor in coalition making
Sinn Sein could be forced to change its position, as has already been suggested, especiallu if it does well with republican voters at the polls.
As I recall, no one thought that the Liberal Democrats were so obsessed with taking office that they would ever join the Tories as slaves in a so-called coalition.
Hi Craig,
love your blog and your politics. When this all over perhaps you could be scottish high commissioner to londonium or if that doesn’t work out there is plenty room in Oz.
Craig, If Bryan Sykes is correct (and I think he is) mitochondrial DNA analysis shows that a Celtic heritage is the genetic ancestry of the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the British Isles. It is therefore something of a misnomer to restrict “Celtic” to the inhabitants of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Your headline may be convenient political shorthand, but is is not correct. With the possible exception of the Australian born Greens leader, all those in your photograph have a probable 80% Celtic ancestry.
There are 3,971 candidates standing in this election. Each pays a deposit of £500 which is refunded if they get more than 5% of the votes cast.
Like May, Gove has been pretty silent throughout the campaign as have most of the other Con ministers. It has been Cameron, Cameron and more Cameron.
Mrs Gove is not silent and sounds off. Perhaps disgruntled because Poison Gove was sidelined.
I’ll tell you a little secret about those mugs in the Cabinet By Sarah Vine for the Daily Mail
6 May 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3069560/SARAH-VINE-ll-tell-little-secret-mugs-Cabinet.html
Ooh er Missus.
~~~
Major does not rate Gove’s legacy.
John Major laments Conservatives’ failure with minority ethnic voters
Former prime minister also questions Britain’s educational standards and record on tackling inequality, as well as George Osborne’s plans to raise retirement age
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/06/john-major-conservatives-minority-ethnic-voters
Yuk.
‘Former bank accountant Blay, 55, who used to be a member of the Conservative Party, told our reporter that Jayawardena had been tipped to potentially be the country’s first British Asian Prime Minister.
And in a vile and shocking outburst, he raged: “If he is I will personally put a bullet between his eyes.
“If this lad turns up to be our Prime Minister I will personally put a bullet in him. That’s how strong I feel about it.
“I won’t have this f***** as our Prime Minister. I absolutely loathe him.”’
Robert Blay: UKIP suspends parliamentary candidate after he threatens to SHOOT Tory rival in shocking video
5 May 2015
The shocking remarks were made to a Daily Mirror investigator at a public meeting on Saturday attended by party leader Nigel Farage.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/robert-blay-ukip-suspends-parliamentary-5641537
from a “Celtic” newspaper: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/frontline-ukraine-by-richard-sakwa-portrait-of-crisis-does-not-demonise-putin-1.2187576 , , , a shock claim that Vladimir Putin is the most pro-European leader of Russia ever!
sorry, back to the election: BBC have installed a life-size 3 dimensional glowing LED map of the UK in front of new broadcasting house, I think I’ll just have to watch The Oxbridge Footlights election poker show on Channel Four instead (David Mitchell representing Peterhouse & Paxo hating the Scots?)
Of all the distasteful things in this election campaign the most distasteful of all has been the relentless anti-Scottish rhetoric that the Unionist parties have indulged in. It is petty and xenophobic and worst of all, many simple minded folk have been suckered into believing it.
For soi-disant national leaders to engage in what is near hate speech in a tawdry effort to garner a few votes is a sign of just how low and broken our politics has become.
There has been much written about Ed’s idiotic Pledge Henge publicity stunt yet barely any condemnation of the Tory poster depicting Alex Salmond as a pickpocket, which to my eyes is utterly despickable as a piece of political propaganda. I do hope that Salmond and the SNP seek some kind of legal redress for that infantile smear.
It seems an entirely appropriate punishment that the Unionists will be wiped out north of the border and furthermore that none of them will be even close to a majority and will now have to negotiate to try and form a government.
Let’s look back to 2003 when we had Blair for Prime minister, born in Glasgow, George Brown was Chancellor, Iain Duncan Smith headed the Conservatives and Charles Kennedy the Liberal democrats. Despite Scots being the minority they were very much the majority in government.
We invaded Iraq.
Craig, do you speak any Celtic language? I just wondered.
It seems there is NOT to be a TWO State solution to the U.K.
Where have we heard that before?
And from whom?
Lysias, do you speak any Irish? I just wondered.
James O’Neill
Sorry, have serious lack of interest in ethnicity. it’s just a shorthand to describe Scotland, Wales and Ireland which is fairly widely understood.
Daddy has property up north.
What is it called?
Scotland.
Were you referring there to Jura Robert? 😉
‘North of the Corran River, and stretching as far as Loch Tarbert, is the Tarbert Estate. Prime Minister David Cameron has visited the estate on several occasions.[14] It is sometimes reported that the 20,000-acre estate is “owned by his wife’s stepfather Lord Astor”[14] although the ownership of the Tarbert Estate is in the hands of Ginge Manor Estates Ltd based in Nassau in The Bahamas and there is “no means of verifying” who the beneficial owners are.[15] North of Loch Tarbert is Ruantallain, which was created when the northern half of the Tarbert Estate was sold off in 1984. It is owned by businessman Lindsay Bury, who is a former president of the influential wildlife charity Flora and Fauna International. The north of Jura belongs to two members of the Fletcher family. The owner of Ardlussa[16] is Andrew Fletcher, who lives at Ardlussa House with his family – they are the only estate owners to be permanently resident on Jura. And at the northernmost tip of Jura, overlooking the famous Corryvreckan Whirlpool is the Barnhill Estate,[17] which is owned by Jamie Fletcher.’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jura,_Scotland#Recent_and_current_ownership
Note 14
‘He said deerstalking was “probably one of the most defendable” field sports and denied giving up hunting because some people did not like it.
Mr Cameron said: “I find now I’d rather go for a walk and this year I’ve got a phenomenally bad back so I really don’t think I’ll be able to crawl.
David Cameron with a horse
The prime minister said he liked horse riding but not “bare chested”
“It’s a lot of crawling through the heather sometimes for a very, very long time.”
The prime minister, who was staying on the 20,000-acre estate owned by his wife’s stepfather Lord Astor, said he also liked fishing and would occasionally swim in the sea.
“It’s not actually as cold as some people think,” Mr Cameron said.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-23755007
There is no irony in the fact that Orwell had his home there.
Trowbridge H,
There is no chance of Sinn Fein taking their seats at Westminster. It has been widely discussed in NI during this election campaign after one of their candidates, defending a 4 vote majority, hinted at such an event. Subsequently, Martin McGuinness and other senior SF republicans reaffirmed their opposition to taking their seats.
It will never happen as long as the oath of allegiance remains; it would be a PR gift to the dissident republicans in Belfast, Mid Ulster and Derry.
Also by taking their seats SF would be placed in a difficult spot attempting to justify not only their participation in the administration of NI within the union but also their participation and acknowledgement of the British Parliament.
Craig in Milliband’s brave new world without Celts you’ve included Cameron and Farange. Surely that’s not on the cards…..BBC’s favourite subject up here is explaining Tactical Voting…… On the Morning Moan in Unionists favourite topic is to tell the world that they are voting Tactically. Louise White is actually suggesting to a Tory voter that he might be wasting his vote. She didn’t say the following but it certainly came over this way……Shouldn’t you think of voting for another party to keep the SNP out……
Mary.
No, I was referring to all of Scotland.
http://royalbabylon.com watch.
I would like your particular thoughts, after you have had time to digest what it says there, please.
@Mick “taking their seats SF would be placed in a difficult spot”
An excellent idea! Compel all MPs to take a red-hot oath of loyalty to Her Majesty couched in unevadable terms, under pain of perjury and imprisonment if they take the oath falsely, and declaring their election null and void if they refuse to take the oath, the seat being offered to the candidate with the next greatest number of votes who is willing to be sworn in. I wonder why they haven’t done it already.