The Conservative Party and its misled, confused and sorry compatriot in the United Kingdom government, the Liberal Democratic Party, hold 12 of the 59 Scottish Westminster parliamentary seats. The Scottish National Party and the party formally known as - but no longer representing - Labour, hold the remainder. In the Scottish Parliament even with its proportional representation system the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats hold merely 20 of the total 128 seats. Known for never getting anything absolutely correct, I accept my figures may not be immaculately accurate at the time of posting but they do not misrepresent the general situation. It is evident the majority of the Scottish electorate holds left of centre views and this, if I may be holier than thou for a moment, is to its credit, and leads to Scotland being a civilised country which wishes to care for those in its community who are vulnerable and integrates this tendency of concern for the less well off and the suffering into government policies much against the wishes of the government of the South East of England at Westminster in London and against the desires of the self-interested Scottish media.
So given the clear political leaning of the Scottish electorate why does it suffer from such an overwhelmingly right wing and London biased media ?
As if the Scots haven't suffered enough over these last three centuries when even the English (British?!) national anthem regales against the Scots with a stanza about an imperialistic road and bridge building member of the English military and prays to the Almighty,
Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he by sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the King !
Well forgive me for noticing that the BBC in Scotland is, like the writer of this abominable song, a Londonophiliac in nature, and intent on belittling what it is to be Scottish at the same time as being determined to crush the Scottish spirit. The BBC is inhabited by a significant number of people in awe of the "loadsa" money, power and influence which they believe exists in London and though they don't like it as much, Manchester. The idea of a smaller SBC world holds no attraction for them. Faithful to that "dross called gold" and not to the communities from which they came, as soon as the whiff of golden life beside the Thames wends its way up their nostrils, they are lured south.
As for the printed press, with one or two exceptions such as The Daily Record and sometimes The Herald the predominant left of centre view of the Scottish electorate is not well represented and there certainly isn't any significant representation of the views of the many people in Scotland who favour independence. Newspapers in Scotland are it seems also in thrall of the "high road to England."* Their owners and editors fantasise that toadying to Westminster and to the wealth of the City of London will somehow save their failing publications.
Three hundred years on it would seem important that Scots, at least this time, each with a vote to prevent it, should not be sold out by another parcel of self serving rogues.**
Sources
* "The noblest prospect a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!"
From James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, LLD. Published 1791.
** Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation Poem by Robert Burns
Published 1791
So given the clear political leaning of the Scottish electorate why does it suffer from such an overwhelmingly right wing and London biased media ?
As if the Scots haven't suffered enough over these last three centuries when even the English (British?!) national anthem regales against the Scots with a stanza about an imperialistic road and bridge building member of the English military and prays to the Almighty,
Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he by sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the King !
Well forgive me for noticing that the BBC in Scotland is, like the writer of this abominable song, a Londonophiliac in nature, and intent on belittling what it is to be Scottish at the same time as being determined to crush the Scottish spirit. The BBC is inhabited by a significant number of people in awe of the "loadsa" money, power and influence which they believe exists in London and though they don't like it as much, Manchester. The idea of a smaller SBC world holds no attraction for them. Faithful to that "dross called gold" and not to the communities from which they came, as soon as the whiff of golden life beside the Thames wends its way up their nostrils, they are lured south.
As for the printed press, with one or two exceptions such as The Daily Record and sometimes The Herald the predominant left of centre view of the Scottish electorate is not well represented and there certainly isn't any significant representation of the views of the many people in Scotland who favour independence. Newspapers in Scotland are it seems also in thrall of the "high road to England."* Their owners and editors fantasise that toadying to Westminster and to the wealth of the City of London will somehow save their failing publications.
 |
| A Parcel of Rogues in a Nation : the signing of the Act of Union 1707 |
Three hundred years on it would seem important that Scots, at least this time, each with a vote to prevent it, should not be sold out by another parcel of self serving rogues.**
Sources
* "The noblest prospect a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!"
From James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, LLD. Published 1791.
** Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation Poem by Robert Burns
Published 1791
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