Truth hidden in plain sight
Posted on
February 21, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
A realistic, informed and expert assessment of an independent Scotland’s relationship with Europe was accidentally reported by the BBC this morning. It’s chilly here today so we’re going to have to warm up our transcribing fingers for those who can’t access streams, but in the meantime the rest of you can listen to the audio.
Its well worth a listen and the thrust is that the Former United Nations deputy secretary general Mark Malloch-Brown says UN, EU & other international bodies would smooth way into organisations for an Independent Scotland.
Of course the BBC tries to downplay it by saying that Mr Malloch-Brown is a former UK minister rather than the more damaging to the NO case, former UN Deputy Secretary General.
I had to fire up the laptop as BBC Scotland programms are still not available on the IPad but all “National” stations including the Asian network are? Another benefit of the Union!
nevertheless, quite an interesting piece with good old Glenn trying to steer him in the right direction of course. Seems like his own man and happy to giver his honest opinion; it makes a bit of a change.
OT (Sorry Rev)
Severin trying another hatchet job on Yes Campaign and Blair Jenkins in Guardian
Lovely subtle stuff like calling yes campaigners “troops”, talking about Monaco domiciled Scottish Entrepreneur Jim McColl, SNP Greedily keeping hold of their own funds rather than giving them to self funding YesScotland, conflates referendum with policies (what about right wingers???? Yes Scotland is so left. What will they vote for…), and so on and so on.
Also INTERESTINGLY does not appear in their SCOTLAND section…
and thats not the first time.
There seem to be a few articles that appear elsewhere and are then back-fitted into the Scotland section once a few choice comments are left.
Just listened to the Interview. A very rational summary. Wouldn’t fancy Mark’s chances of being interviewed by The BBC again. Especially considering his comment about making “a mountain out of a mole hill” viz a viz scaremongering.
Compare that with The Heralds statements by Nigel Farage of UKIP. Front page news. Nigel fechin Farage! The Herald is certainly giving The Scotsman a run for their money with ridiculous, desperate Independence bashing. Long may it continue.
I have read comments before where they have tried to insinuate that an independent Scotland would struggle for recognition in the international community of nations much like Kosovo.What strikes me about this is the fact that it would be the ‘UK’ who would be unrecognisable.
I picture it as a skeletal corpse in union jack finery sat at the ‘UK’ seat of the UN with David Cameron wearing a crown and Welsh underpants manipulating the corpse with Peter Robinson in a crown and Eire underpants giggling beside him.
“Severin trying another hatchet job on Yes Campaign and Blair Jenkins in Guardian”
You’ve buggered up that link.
Mark Malloch-Brown’s comments regarding treaties is another focal point of the interview … let’s see how the no campaign try to spin this out as a negative
Mr Malloch-Brown puts a very well reasoned and balanced opinion forward. It’s well informed, objective and pretty much addresses what will happen in the real world.
This is the level of reasoned debate we must have.
here is the link to the Guardian article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/scottish-independence-blog/2013/feb/21/blairjenkins-yes-independence-campaign?CMP=twt_gu
You’ve buggered up that link.
BOLLOCKS…
“The real question for scots is: Do we have a bigger voice in the world as part of the United Kingdom, or, speaking with a more authentic, Scottish voice on international affairs…..” Excellent.
I see Lamont’s targeting of Sturgeon is increasing. Lamont is a disaster of a politician. I have no idea what she believes in at all.
Another train-wreck FMQs for Lamont. Mind you, someone likes her enough to have given her a pearl necklace. Perhaps they could also show her how to wear it so that it doesn’t resemble a noose.
Is that thread over on the Guardian an alternative meeting place for Wings over Scotland posters? It’s almost a home from home!
This blog, according to the erudite and scholarly John Ruddy, is, and I quote:
“@CaltonHill – I wont bother reading anything from Wings over Scotland! the Bath based blogger has little connection with facts!”
They are so scared they can’t even face the arguements.
I love the bit about Scotland joining the UN.
For all of it’s problems the UN is good at running a flag up a pole and squeezing in an extra seat.
Surely NHS workers must be furious with the way they are being kicked in the guts every day of the week from the BBC and opposition parties.
@Dee
The BBC and the No parties are trying to prepare the way for privatisation of the NHS in Scotland in the event of a No vote. They are British Nationalists, and will therefore do anything to save the union. This includes getting rid of its greatest institution.
Come on Rev, have your transcribing fingers no warmed up a wee bit yet..
It’s half passed lunch time and I’ve no access to any streaming at work.. 🙂
@Dee – Yes we are pi$$ed off…..
It’s not often I find myself siding with a Labour MSP during FMQ, but the issue of the shooting rights on Raasay once again raises the problem of how we can improve local democracy in an independent Scotland. It’s ridiculous that islanders built up a business on their island and then had the rights to run it awarded to a private company.
We should be looking at empowering communities – not denying them access to the means of self sufficiency.
Also an interesting, positive contribution to the currency debate from John Kay
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21527789
“Scotland should be ready to adopt an independent currency if the country votes in favour of leaving the UK, a leading economist will warn.
In a lecture later, Prof John Kay will say the Scottish government “would be right” to try to form a monetary union with the rest of the UK.
But it could be “difficult” to negotiate an agreement that would give Scotland the fiscal freedom it sought.”
Totally right. The idea that being in a Sterling zone would be terrible because we’ll have no powers at all and no representations is simply refuted by saying, “we’ll negotiate for a currency zone as this is in the best interests of Scotland and rUK at the moment. However, if we can’t get a deal that’s in Scotland’s interest, option B is that we set up a Scottish pound instead”. Ball firmly in UK court if they believe a Sterling zone is in their best interest (which it is).
However, the BBC then goes on to do it’s usual trick of quoting all three unionist parties spouting utter nonsense, and affords Willie Rennie (Willie Rennie, ffs) a quote in bold, despite it being a clear lie that doesn’t represent anything said.
@Muttley
Spot on. Two central planks of Labour’s ‘strategy’ – one, trash the NHS as it stands to lay the groundwork for privatisation in Milliband’s ‘one nation’ neo-liberal superstate; two, smear Nicola Sturgeon as the face of the Yes campaign.
Expect much, much more of this to come from the BBC/Labour in the coming weeks..
Brilliant piece by Mr Malloch-Brown. If you haven’t had the opportunity to stream yet, pertinent commentary includes:
The UK is over represented at UN
Foreign unsolicited advice unwelcome
EU anxious to embrace Scotland and would ‘smooth its way’; the EU has closer and better relations with Scotland than with other parts of UK; relations are ragged with, and EU could make it embarrassing for London; the EU’s problem is with London – not Edinburgh
On treaties: they’re making a mountain out of a molehill for purely political reasons and this shouldn’t be allowed to become a major issue on the rights or wrongs of independence; Scotland would be allowed into organisations with relative ease.
(sorry if I stole your thunder Rev, but I just had to write it down, and smile)
Am I the only person who saw a threat in Mr Malloch-Brown’s interview?
Yes, “he puts a very well reasoned and balanced opinion forward. It’s well informed, objective and pretty much addresses what will happen in the real world.” BUT just about everyone knows by now that the EU is a storm in a tea-cup. The government’s own legal expert said so in an interview recently, as did the legal advice.
So being reasonable about something we already know, was a way to make him seem fair and reliable, so that he could sow the big doubt he threw in at the end, about whether Scotland wants to have “less influence” in the world by leaving the mighty UK. (as if we actually have some at influence at the moment, and ‘having less’ is a certainty. ).
This is the cleverest NO attack I’ve seen yet. He doesn’t allude to the fact that 59 MP’s have very little say in the choosing of UK foreign policies (or anything else), or that Scottish fishing rights have been regularly bargained away in exchange for England’s other interests in the EU, or that Scotland would have more MEPs as an independent coun!ry in Europe than it does now. He simply talks about Scotland having influence now and losing it on independence as if that is fact, and he’s been so ‘fair’ and reasonable that the hook gets swallowed whole..
@Training Day
Two central planks of Labour’s ‘strategy’ – one, trash the NHS as it stands to lay the groundwork for privatisation in Milliband’s ‘one nation’ neo-liberal superstate; two, smear Nicola Sturgeon as the face of the Yes campaign.
Expect much, much more of this to come from the BBC/Labour in the coming weeks..
Yes, I agree with that. You have put it better than me. I find it tragic that the party that introduced the NHS is now willing to see its demise. Also, Lamont and her cohorts cannot bear to see a senior SNP politician getting praise, and so are turning their poisonous attentions on Sturgeon. They simply can never accept that they have been beaten, and are not ruling Scotland. They, just as much as the Bullingdon Boys, believe they are born to rule. In addition, it shows what political dinosaurs Lamont and co are when they have failed until recently to identify Sturgeon as a political threat. Their complacency and arrogance are there for all to see.
The BBC in Scotland have been running stories to damage the NHS here in tandem with Scottish Labour. In their desperation to stop independence they are willing to sacrifice the best institution to be created by the British state. However, it leaves the question that, should there be a No vote, and we have to privatise the NHS, the only remaining significant UK institution is the BBC. How long does the BBC going to be able to survive the privatisation fetish? Cameron said the NHS was safe in his hands before the last election, and look what happened? If the Tories achieve a majority what is going to happen to the BBC? They have privatised just about everything else? Why are BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour so willing to trust the Tories?
Muttley79 – Why are BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour so willing to trust the Tories?
Better Together.
@Yesitis
Why are BBC Scotland and Scottish Labour so willing to trust the Tories?
Better Together.
Then they should be preparing for the shafting of a lifetime then…
Then they should be preparing for the shafting of a lifetime then…
Yes, most likely. Dave’s talked a lot about renegotiating with the EU and if the results are not satisfactory (for the Tories, but most crucially for the City of London Corporation which lives in increasing fear of EU regulation/taxing), then holding an in-out referendum (which should get a Yes to leaving the EU, especially if the negotiations had not bore fruit).
Now if Scotland votes yes, then the rUK will be sitting down to renegotiate its terms of membership of the EU. Perfect timing for Dave; no wonder he’s helping things along. After all, he can’t keep Scotland and win in 2015.
@ Cath
Does Scotland’s contribution to the “nationalisation” of the BoE, not confer it a seat on the Monetary Policy Committee? Why would we not have a say in the management of Sterling?
O/T Just saw this quote from James Kelly, a Scottish Labour MSP on WoS Twitter:
Salmond hides behind ministers again like he hid behind Sturgeon on gay marriage & McAskill on Megrahi. Salmond is a rebel without the baws.
Is there any depth that Scottish Labour are not going to sink to? Can they hate Salmond anymore for denying them their god-given right to rule Scotland?
“So being reasonable about something we already know, was a way to make him seem fair and reliable, so that he could sow the big doubt he threw in at the end, about whether Scotland wants to have “less influence” in the world by leaving the mighty UK. (as if we actually have some at influence at the moment, and ‘having less’ is a certainty. ).”
I disagree Hennessey…..
It’s a perfectly reasonable point to make….larger countries do generally have more influence than smaller ones…(and for countries you could just as easily also add ‘Companies’ or ‘Football Clubs’)….Scotland will be smaller than the UK and thus have less influence pretending otherwise would be silly.
As for the UN Security Council Seat…well Britain could give it up tomorrow and life would go on as normal….nobody is made any richer or poorer by having it.
And the examples of Ireland and Denmark show smaller nations can ‘punch above their weight’ in the EU and UN…..
So outwith the households of Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy…..I really can’t see losing the Security Council Seat being a issue that will influence how folk vote.
Really refreshing to hear a career politician giving measured, considered and above all, HONEST, answers to questions…might have to go and have a lie down…