Scottish/UK relations breakdown

SLG · Scottish/UK relations breakdown

According to the Scotsman Very Happy

Obviously the Scotsman not afraid to sensationalise the situation. I think this is this is just the natural cooling off of the 'cosy' relationship that used to exist when Labour were in power in both Parliaments.

But what do folk think of this kind of reporting? I'm sure the Scotsman is wanting to sell papers on the back of headlines like this, but they'll also be wanting to turn people off the SNP and off independence. I think this could backfire as it's more likely to just add to the perception that the we are being increasingly run as a separate country from the rest of the UK. For the people who don't take a hard-line stance on either side of the independence debate I think it will make them feel like independence is happening already and that the process may as well be embraced.

Reluctant Hero

I have to be honest that was the impression I was getting over the last week as well. Perhaps it was that two stories, the Spending Review and the farmers compensation, but it did seem that things were hotting up.

Throw in a couple of nasty comments from a panel member on question time and we get a picture of what the general perception of Scotland is down south.

I am glad we have got a First Minister that will look after Scotland's interests better than the previous incumbent, but I think Salmond has to tread very carefully. If he picks too many battles ( even if it is to stick up for Scotland ) he will risk an even greater backlash from the media. He has to tread a fine line, however he is a shrewd tactician (unlike his counterpart at Westminster Laughing

)

SLG

I think it was last night on Newsnight Scotland, they had Alan Cochrane and Ian McWhirter. Cochrane was taking the line that the damage this was doing to Scottish-UK relations... but McWhirter came back and said that basically, every 'fight' that Salmond has been involved in, he has been in the right, from the Libyan issue to start with, to the farmers compensation at the moment. You could argue that he might have made the most of it, but at the end of the day, it's Labour in Westminster that are giving him the ammunition and it's them that need to take responsibility.

Aventinian

Whatever happened to Salmond's ideas of more inter-governmental events between the the home nations and the UK government? Not heard much spoken about that of late.

I think they are necessary if devolution is going to survive different administrations in Holyrood and London. Obviously with two Labour executives, there was going to be a large degree of informal interaction within the party structure etc. We now need to formalise that.

SLG

I think they are necessary as well. I think the lack of English representation is a problem though and without UK support, how far could Salmond take it? Brown certainly didn't look to comfortable mixing with Salmond and the PC leader at the recent meeting of the British-Irish council.