The Green Ribbon

Wendy Alexander on the English

Scotland’s Labour leader-elect thinks the English should stop complaining.

Figures from the Scottish Executive show that the Government spends £1,236
more on every person in Scotland than it does in England. But Ms Alexander
said: “It does not come down to numbers. Every part of the UK outside London
is a net beneficiary from the Exchequer, and Scotland does not get a
uniquely good deal.

“That argument, that England would be better off without Scotland, would lead
you to declare UDI for London . . . and would lead to California seceding
from the rest of the United States.” (Times)

She’s right about one thing. The issue isn’t the numbers. It’s democracy. What makes Scotland different from London or any of the English regions is that it has its own Parliament but its MPs can still vote on English legislation, a power which the Scottish Labour Party has used to impose right-wing policies on England.

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5 responses to “Wendy Alexander on the English”

  1. avatar
    Anonymous

    There were several interesting things in the Times article.
    The use of the reductio ad absurdum argument where the initial assumption is that Scotland and England are not separate nationalities but regional components in the proper nation of the UK. This argument has often been deployed by unionists to ridicule nationalism. If Scotland and England were simply regions then the premise that separation due to economic disparity, “…would lead you to declare UDI for London . . . and would lead to California seceding from the rest of the United States.”, would not be so risible as an argument against independence. The initial assumption that Scotland and England are both no more than regions manages to insult both the Scots and the English.
    Labour are now taking the Union battle to England. They must be fearful that there is a rise in English nationalism which may act in synergy or as a spur to Scottish nationalism.
    The basic argument that Ms. Alexander deploys is, “We cost you money but please keep us”. An indicator that arguments for the union are scarce on the ground and that there is a backbone vacuum in Scottish Labour circles.
    “She added: “The bigger issue is what signal it would send to the rest of the world if we [the English and the Scots] said we could not live together.””
    So Scots should give up their aspirations to become independent in order to set a good example to some undefined people or nationalities in the rest of the world. I assume she’s soon going to have a go at Norway for not staying part of Sweden as it should in 1905. What a sad excuse for a Scot she is.
    The usual misinformation is disseminated. “Ms Alexander, who takes over formally as Labour leader north of the Border…” No she doesn’t, she becomes leader of the Labour MSP’s in the Scottish Parliament. There is no such thing as a separate Scottish Labour Party and no Scottish Labour Leader.
    “She also gave warning to Alex Salmond, the SNP First Minister, that if he chose to hold a referendum on Scottish separation – as he and his party have pledged – he would lose.”
    Maybe he would, but Labour, the Lib-Dems and the Conservatives in Scotland don’t want to talk about a referendum far less hold one. Ms. Alexander apparently is unaware of what her own MSP’s are doing. You’ve got an article about the pan-unionists in this very blog.
    Wendy made a real dog’s breakfast of being a minister in the Scottish Parliament last time. It doesn’t look like she’s improved any in the intervening years.
    This article was written about her in 2002.
    Wendy: The talent and the tantrums
    http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=190&id=96192002

    Reply
  2. DougtheDug avatar
    DougtheDug

    My name appears to have been left out as the author of the first comment. Maybe it will appear this time.

    Reply
  3. Tom Griffin avatar
    Tom Griffin

    That piece certainly makes for an interesting comparison with the way that the Civil Service seems to have taken to Alex Salmond:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/briantaylor/2007/08/yes_first_minister.html

    Reply
  4. Gus Abraham avatar
    Gus Abraham

    Ah, poor old Wendy, the great whote hope of Labour in Scotland. See her in action here:
    http://1820.org.uk/2007/09/wendy.shtml
    End London Rule.

    Reply
  5. Truth Teller avatar
    Truth Teller

    DO NOT LISTEN TO LABOUR LIES
    The Westminster government may spend spends £1,236 more on every person in Scotland than it does in England. But included in that money is the 2.89 billion in 2005 and 1.89 billion in 2006 that Westminster did not actually give Scotland.
    North Sea oil is Scotland largest industry so large that it could generate an ADDITIONAL £2300.00 per year for every man woman and child that resides in Scotland. Currently the Scots see NO OIL MONEY, the Scots only get what back what the put in to union as taxes. Therefore in an Independent Scotland this £2300 would be additional to the alleged £1,236 extra we are each supposed to get.
    For full details visit http://www.oilofscotland.org
    For more on people like Wendy Alexander visit http://www.scottish-labour-party.co.uk
    In 2007 /2008

    Reply

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