Following the spectacular election victory by the SNP, some newspapers in England have printed vitriolic attacks on Scottish aspirations.  In this they have been urged on by unscrupulous unionist politicians, and extremely biased media attempts to portray Scotland as “subsidized by England”.  These prejudiced attitudes do not reflect the views of the moderate and fair-minded English people, however, they do need to be rebuffed as they have appeared in mainstream newspapers.

Below is a response by a former Deputy Leader of the SNP, to such a letter in the Spectator, which was insulting to all Scots.

  14th. May 2011 

Mr. Fraser Nelson

The Editor

The Spectator

London.

 

 Sir,

I wonder if you, the editor, will pass on to Mr. John Duffield of Essex the email addresses of Scotland’s newspapers, so that he can send his thoughts on the Scots, as set out in his letter, to a wide audience up here. I can think of nothing that would gain the SNP more support for independence than the combination of malice and contempt he and his ilk express for us.

From this side of the border the impression given by commentators and letter writers, in England, in response to the  SNP victory, appears to verge on  hysteria.  It would seem that Perfidious Albion, with its public statements hiding private lies, has not died along with the empire. For years, the Government  bench in the Commons declared that if  people in Scotland voted for independence, then like good democrats the establishment at Westminster and the English people would accept our decision.  It seems that principle applied only up until independence became a possibility. 

The irony is that while southern hysteria is morphing into bitterness towards the Scots, we in the SNP are having a discussion about a model of independence that takes, as far as is possible, the needs of the English state into account.  For example I, despite  lifelong opposition to nuclear weapons,  have been advocating the leasing of the Trident base to England so that its vital link between that weapon,  now more political than military, and the seat on the Security Council is not jeopardised.

Yours etc.

Jim Sillars

Former Deputy Leader SNP

97 Grange Loan

Edinburgh EH9 2ED


 
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