The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


To infinity and beyond

Posted on January 08, 2012 by

Nick Clegg's been upsetting people this week. Now, you might reasonably retort that there was nothing unusual about that, especially in a week when newspaper headlines suggested that the Lib Dems were down to a single voter. But the unusual thing on this occasion is that he's upset people by telling the truth.

Much of the Scottish political village was up in arms about comments the Deputy Prime Minister made in an interview with the Scotsman, which the paper chose to present as Clegg calling supporters of Scottish independence "extremists". The story set various camps off into various types of huff. Liberal Democrats, for example, were angry both at the comments and at the Scotsman – which they accused of "misreporting" Clegg on the grounds that he hadn't actually used the word "extremists" – while some nationalists were predictably outraged at the perceived slur.

But these complaints are wrong on every level. Firstly and most obviously, Clegg DID use the word "extremists" – you can see it in paragraph 8 of the Scotsman piece, where the paper quotes him thusly:

"All the evidence suggests that [greater devolution] is the mainstream of opinion and the extremists are those who either think that we need to yank Scotland out of the United Kingdom tomorrow, or those who say there should be no further change at all."

This statement is, in itself, entirely accurate. When it comes to the constitution, independence and the status quo are the extremes of opinion (discounting the real lunatic fringe who want Holyrood closed down altogether). But even where more sober commentators recognised this fact, they misleadingly left out the last part of Clegg's quote, giving the false impression – just as the Scotsman had done – that he'd only applied it the nationalist camp, when in fact he'd explicitly labelled the supporters of the status quo in the same way.

And, indeed, himself. Because while the Deputy PM was clearly attempting to isolate Labour and the Tories and carve out the popular middle ground for his own party as it embarks on yet another consultation on "Home Rule" (despite the Calman Commission, whose findings the Lib Dems backed, having barely closed its doors), the fact of the matter is that whenever the referendum arrives, the Lib Dems will by default be campaigning for the status quo too, making them just as extremist as everyone else. And despite all the faux-shock, that's something that everyone already knew long before Clegg opened his mouth.

There is absolutely no chance that the latest Lib Dem talking shop will produce a devo-plus proposal to be included in the referendum. Even if they wanted to they'd never get such a thing approved by their UK coalition partners (and unlike independence, any altered devolution settlement requires the consent of the Westminster parliament), and they don't want to anyway – the Scottish Lib Dems have been absolutely unequivocal, along with the other opposition parties, in demanding a one-question Yes or No referendum. And the likelihood of the Lib Dems being in power on either side of the border by then, and therefore in a position to negotiate or grant any further devolution at a later date anyway, is pretty much zero.

So when it comes down to it in 2015 or 2016, by Nick Clegg's definition everyone will be an extremist. Only the two extreme positions will be on offer, and the voters will have to pick one or the other. This blog, for one, commends Nick Clegg on stating that simple and obvious fact, and isn't quite sure why anyone else would be offended by it.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
rai

so by your reconing the right to self determination is an extremist position??? i wonder how the rest of the civilised independant nations feel about that

DougtheDug

The problem with the use of the words, "extreme", and, "extremist", by Nick Clegg is that although in the context of the constitutional debate they can both simply mean a postion at one end of the spectrum or somebody who supports that position their meaning changes in common usage where, "extreme", usually means a position far from what is necessary or normal and an, "extremist", is someone whose views are fanatical and even tinged with violence.
Again just as with Ken MacIntosh, Michael Moore and now Nick Clegg the unionists don't like being called unionists. They're devolutionists. Which is like claiming that you are not in any way a bird as you are a duck. In any case I thought the Lib-Dems were federalists which though still a very unionist viewpoint protects the powers of regional parliaments within a constitution.
Again Nick Clegg is assuming that devolution which is just a variant local government scheme in unionism is somehow in a position which is between the union and independence which it is patently not.
Has Nick as the leader of a party which is committed to the integrity of the UK but with federal regional parliaments ever worked out that there is no midpoint between Scotland being part of the UK and Scotland being independent.
The claim that the Lib-Dems are planning more powers for Scotland is just a jam-tomorrow strategy. In the light of the fact that all three unionist parties support and wrote the Scotland Bill which simply fiddles with the current Scotland Act and in the light of the fact that no party has come up with even a draft question for the empty Devo-Max option in the independence referendum ballot paper it is probably fairly safe to say that Devo-max, the maximum amount of power Lodon is willing to devolve to Scotland is already here.
For those who support Devo-max, enjoy it because it is already here.

Gruntus

"Which is like claiming that you are not in any way a bird as you are a duck"
That Python logic sums up the con/dem/lab ever changing positions in regards to Scotland.
 


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,666 Posts, 1,201,503 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “His program for government needs to be split into three parts to understand its chances of success. He has enough…Nov 8, 02:48
    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “Thanks for the kind words, Jay. The question in your penultimate paragraph is a very good one. The presidential election…Nov 8, 02:33
    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “There was nothing from Harris to disbelieve. Her argument was that she isn’t Trump. It is still very early in…Nov 8, 02:12
    • Jay on How it happened: “Ros, in among 3 years worth of articles in Euromaidan Press you should find at least one showing the percentage…Nov 7, 23:56
    • Jay on How it happened: “Might any shareholder dividends from the US Military Industrial Complex end up in an eastern mediterranean coastal state?Nov 7, 23:45
    • g M on How it happened: “We’ll wait and see of course.Nov 7, 23:34
    • g M on How it happened: “I listened to it and it was a long list of fairly extensive measures he intended to take to break…Nov 7, 23:33
    • Andouilette on How it happened: “No. It was painfully obvious that Mr. Salmond was being stitched up. The orange gibbon is a disgusting waste of…Nov 7, 23:23
    • Jay on How it happened: “Skip, it is a relief to see comments from you. My experience is limited to reading of ‘current affairs’ for…Nov 7, 23:20
    • Billy Carlin on How it happened: “And if Salmond had been found guilty via the lies you would have been saying the exact same thing then?…Nov 7, 22:06
    • Billy Carlin on How it happened: “You are obviously clueless re the Executive Orders Trump put into place during his first term as President re corruption…Nov 7, 22:00
    • Republicofscotland on How it happened: “I haven’t listened to it – but I did listen to a few Americans speak – and in plain language…Nov 7, 21:57
    • Mark Beggan on How it happened: “Did the Democrats think the American electorate were just going to bend over and take like Carlos Alba?Nov 7, 21:51
    • sam on How it happened: “Thanks, Fearghas. Will watch them all.Nov 7, 21:51
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on How it happened: “Typo 2: FRANZ Fanon (not Frank!). Apologies.Nov 7, 21:36
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on How it happened: “Typo: Prof Bill ROLSTON (not Royston).Nov 7, 21:33
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on How it happened: “SCOTLAND AS COLONY – a way forward… The above webpage (posted 3 April 2024) has a number of videos featuring…Nov 7, 21:26
    • Campbell Clansman on How it happened: “They’ll accuse the “judges” not just of corruption but also of being a part of one of their tin-foil hat…Nov 7, 21:15
    • g M on How it happened: “Have a listen to his program for government RoS, sounds like he is serious to me.Nov 7, 21:05
    • g M on How it happened: “Skip, his program for government as announced via social media sounds far reaching. He might have just put himself in…Nov 7, 21:03
    • Aidan on How it happened: “Yes – it’s a total repudiation of reality, which is why this is never going to get near a court…Nov 7, 20:47
    • Campbell Clansman on How it happened: “Aidan, Alf’s blathering on the “Claim of Right” alleged constitutional “conditions” to the Act/Treaty of Union is just that–blathering. Even…Nov 7, 20:37
    • gregor on How it happened: “I was listening to Radio Scotland phone-in this morning, amusingly, while weeding a garden. I normally listen to music.Nov 7, 20:33
    • Jay on The Mandalorian Candidate: “Who are the Editors at BBC Scotland? Who actually took the decision to engage Carlos (not as respectable as jackal)?Nov 7, 20:15
    • Pipinghot on How it happened: “Fuck me. Tell me this is not the Skye bridge activist Andy Anderson please.Nov 7, 20:13
    • Robert Hughes on How it happened: “Whit ! naw , really ? ahahahahaha – man , that’s fckn priceless . Will these poor wee Trump-terrorised infants…Nov 7, 20:03
    • Robert Matthews on How it happened: “FYYFCNov 7, 20:02
    • Meg Merrilees on How it happened: “…well, anyone listening to Radio Scotland phone-in around 9.40 this morning would have heard the opinion of a Scottish journalist…Nov 7, 19:35
    • Hatey McHateface on How it happened: “To me it looks like folk didn’t believe Harris You defo have the experience and credibility to make that assessment,…Nov 7, 19:31
    • Aidan on How it happened: “There have been a number of cases heard in the Supreme Court recently specifically concerning the ability of the U.K.…Nov 7, 19:28
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
52
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x