Possible Scottish Independence and the Monarchy

[Chubb Fuddler]

I had a hearty laugh at these two snippets from The New Yorker. But if you think it is too soon to make jokes, don’t read them.

Queen Rips “Scottish Bastards” in Angry Televised Address

Queen Accepts Scotland’s Apology

Compare the pithy wit of Andy Borowitz to the dull heaviness of this piece by Eryk Bagshaw in The Age a couple of days ago. If poor old Eryk wants to show how clever and iconoclastic he is, I’m afraid to say this sad little attempt to provoke outrage falls a bit flat. A couple of teasing jokes might help alleviate the leaden monotony of his indignant ramblings, but does he have the humour to pull it off? I’m not so sure.

 

[muriel]

Salmond is now saying the Scottish Parliament could unilaterally declare independence after gaining increasing numbers of powers.

So I guess the "sovereign will" of the people only counts if its a Yes vote?

Alex Salmond says No voters were 'tricked' - Telegraph

Here was a perfect opportunity for Alex Salmond to gracefully retired and be remembered for his role in brining independence to the fore. His latest actions may mean that history may not judge him as positively, to put it mildly.

 

[MARG]

Marg - and everyone else - have you seen any reports on how those 16 and 17 year olds did actually vote? I haven't. I think it would be very interesting.

There are several breakdowns, available through google. Here are a couple.

Scotland's Other Winners: Teenage Voters - Bloomberg View

The No kids: has Alex Salmond fatally misjudged under-18s? | Scots Independence News | The Week UK

 

[Ish]

I had a hearty laugh at these two snippets from The New Yorker. But if you think it is too soon to make jokes, don’t read them.

Queen Rips “Scottish Bastards” in Angry Televised Address

Queen Accepts Scotland’s Apology

Compare the pithy wit of Andy Borowitz to the dull heaviness of this piece by Eryk Bagshaw in The Age a couple of days ago. If poor old Eryk wants to show how clever and iconoclastic he is, I’m afraid to say this sad little attempt to provoke outrage falls a bit flat. A couple of teasing jokes might help alleviate the leaden monotony of his indignant ramblings, but does he have the humour to pull it off? I’m not so sure.

I was going to say that my favourite part was “I’ll make you heel like a litter of [Anglo-Saxon vulgarity] corgis.” but then I read the second link which has just such a beautiful ending. That was great, thank you.

 

[Chubb Fuddler]

Yes, the end of the second one is my favourite. I laughed so suddenly that I snorted!

 

[AdmirerUS]

I was going to say that my favourite part was “I’ll make you heel like a litter of [Anglo-Saxon vulgarity] corgis.” but then I read the second link which has just such a beautiful ending. That was great, thank you.

The second laugh for me was realizing how badly her corgis come to heel.

 

[Roslyn]

There are several breakdowns, available through google. Here are a couple.

Scotland's Other Winners: Teenage Voters - Bloomberg View

The No kids: has Alex Salmond fatally misjudged under-18s? | Scots Independence News | The Week UK

Thanks.

 

[Mbruno]

I always wanted Scotland to stay in the Union. And yesterday I sat and talked thru with my other half how happy I was but how I respected Salmond and what he had done for Scotland and respected how he had stood down having lost. Now this.....

Tne respect I had is floundering in the idea that the "new" scottish powers could deliver UDI!

Is he completely bonkers?

there will be no powers to allow this - and nor should there be. the majority said NO and a poll today said that the majority still supported SNP but "please dont do this to us again"

Hero to zero in less than 36 hours.

The new powers to be transferred to the Scottish parliament do not include the power to end the Union. Only the Westminster parliament, being sovereign, can legally grant sovereignty to Scotland.

Of course, AS or any other Scottish leader for that matter can always make a unilateral declaration of independence (as the Americans did in 1776), but that would not be valid under British law and I doubt any country in the world (except perhaps North Korea) would recognize it, meaning it would have no validity in international law either.

 

[muriel]

The new powers to be transferred to the Scottish parliament do not include the power to end the Union. Only the Westminster parliament, being sovereign, can legally grant sovereignty to Scotland.

Of course, AS or any other Scottish leader for that matter can always make a unilateral declaration of independence (as the Americans did in 1776), but that would not be valid under British law and I doubt any country in the world (except perhaps North Korea) would recognize it, meaning it would have no validity in international law either.

IMO, it really is time to try and heal the divisions, and try and focus on job creation and economic independence for large numbers of people in Scotland. I do wish Alex Salmond and the SNP, as the government of devlved Scotland, could provide some ideas on how they propose to do this.

 

[wyevale]

Here is an interesting breakdown of the voting by age group-

YouGov analysis of Indy vote:
16-24 was 51%-49% NO
25-39 was 55%-45% YES
40-59 was 53%-47% NO
60-64 was 55%-45% NO
65+....was 66%-34% NO


The idea that the young are overwhelmingly anti Union is shown to be a fallacy...

 

[julliette]

They may not be overwhelmingly anti Union but there is indeed a tendency for the young people to be more anti Union than the rest. Just look at the numbers:

- as age decreases, the number of YES voters increases
- the second group (25-39) voted, as a majority, YES and the first group (16-24) voted NO but the difference is almost null
- the only group where we can say people overwhelmingly prefer the Union is the last one (65+)

 

[Jacknch]

I presume this is better than Her majesty quacking like a duck......

BBC News - Queen purred over Scotland result, says David Cameron

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

'The Queen purred down the line when I told her Scotland had voted No': Cameron caught on mic making extraordinary comments about the Monarch | Daily Mail Online

 

[Dman]

Video:
PM: Queen 'Purred Down Line' Over Scots Vote-
PM: Queen 'Purred Down Line' Over Scots Vote

 

[wyevale]

Cameron seems more than merely accident prone.. His incompetance is clear ! First his complacency in the face of the referendum, and now he has managed to embroil the Sovereign [who had up to this point successfully avoided partisan involvement] in just such a row....

His next audience with HMQ will be gratifyingly difficult...

 

[Lumutqueen]

'The Queen purred down the line when I told her Scotland had voted No': Cameron caught on mic making extraordinary comments about the Monarch | Daily Mail Online

A; What an idiot, he is getting the "evils" from The Queen right now.
B; Why would Cameron need to tell The Queen they'd voted no? She would have known either when she woke up or throughout the night.

 

[Jacknch]

A; What an idiot, he is getting the "evils" from The Queen right now.
B; Why would Cameron need to tell The Queen they'd voted no? She would have known either when she woke up or throughout the night.

A) Bless him, he tries so hard.
B) Well, you can't believe everything you hear on the television or radio - but if the prime minister tells you something officially, you know for sure it's going to be the truth!

 

[Dman]

A; What an idiot, he is getting the "evils" from The Queen right now.
B; Why would Cameron need to tell The Queen they'd voted no? She would have known either when she woke up or throughout the night.

Yes, but most likely he had to communicate with Her Majesty during the campaign and after the vote. I'm just wondering; what does he mean she "purred down the line?"

I'm guessing he meant that she expressed her happiness and relief.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Yes, but most likely he had to communicate with Her Majesty during the campaign and after the vote. I'm just wondering; what does he mean she "purred down the line?"

I'm guessing he meant that she expressed her happiness and relief.

I get that he had to communicate with her but his exact words were;

"The definition of relief is being The Prime Minister of The United Kingdom and ringing The Queen and saying, "It's alright, it's okay". That's something. She purred down the phone.

Purring is not a word I would pair with The Queen, ever. Cameron picked the wrong word. He was describing his and her relief on the situation and I imagine what he heard was the relief sigh you have.

This is similar to the "bigott" comment from GB!

 

[muriel]

Cameron seems more than merely accident prone.. His incompetance is clear ! First his complacency in the face of the referendum, and now he has managed to embroil the Sovereign [who had up to this point successfully avoided partisan involvement] in just such a row....

His next audience with HMQ will be gratifyingly difficult...

I think he may get the infamous steely glare.

 

[Dman]

Paul Harrison @SkyNewsRoyal · 6h
#royal Buckingham Palace would neither confirm nor deny that the #Queen purrs when she is happy....one of my wierder chats with Buck Pal.

 

[AdmirerUS]

Paul Harrison @SkyNewsRoyal · 6h
#royal Buckingham Palace would neither confirm nor deny that the #Queen purrs when she is happy....one of my wierder chats with Buck Pal.

This made me laugh. And I suspect it made both staff at BP and the press corps laugh as well.

 

[AdmirerUS]

I presume this is better than Her majesty quacking like a duck......

BBC News - Queen purred over Scotland result, says David Cameron

This is just my opinion, but having seen the family movies, the official and unofficial activities she tackles over the Balmoral holiday, she seems far more a Scots duck over the summer than other members of the family. They pipe in the dinner (or is it breakfast?), for heaven sake. She has always impressed me as being part Scotland in her heart. I think she loves all the Commonwealth but the River Dee flows in her veins. And I really like her for that!

 

[Roslyn]

This is just my opinion, but having seen the family movies, the official and unofficial activities she tackles over the Balmoral holiday, she seems far more a Scots duck over the summer than other members of the family. They pipe in the dinner (or is it breakfast?), for heaven sake. She has always impressed me as being part Scotland in her heart. I think she loves all the Commonwealth but the River Dee flows in her veins. And I really like her for that!

Well, HM is half Scottish. It is only natural that she feels a strong connection with Scotland. Her mother was Scottish and I feel that spending time there as a child with her Scottish mother and other Scottish family members would have had a profound effect on her. I have no doubt at all that HM feels great personal pleasure and satisfaction that the majority of the Scottish people voted to remain within the UK.

 

[Rudolph]

David Cameron: Queen 'purred' down line over Scottish Independence vote - Telegraph

David Cameron is to apologise to the Queen for an extraordinary breach of protocol after he was heard saying that she “purred” down the line after he told her Scotland had voted against independence.

The Prime Minister was meeting business leaders in New York when he was caught on a microphone talking about a private conversation he held with the Queen after Friday’s referendum result. It was reported he said she had even wept with joy.

In the comments to Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, Mr Cameron also admitted that the Scottish referendum “should never have been that close”.

 

[Curryong]

Thanks Cameron. Very helpful, in the atmosphere following the referendum.

 

[Roslyn]

Not very smart of him. He's proven he's as capable of being just as unwise as Salmond.

 

[Dman]

This made me laugh. And I suspect it made both staff at BP and the press corps laugh as well.

I can only imagine Paul asking the palace press office about the Queen's purr.

 

[Roslyn]

Actually I'm a bit surprised the Queen purrs. I didn't think she was a cat person. Perhaps she does it in games with the corgis.

 

[MARG]

I presume this is better than Her majesty quacking like a duck......

BBC News - Queen purred over Scotland result, says David Cameron

This is just my opinion, but having seen the family movies, the official and unofficial activities she tackles over the Balmoral holiday, she seems far more a Scots duck over the summer than other members of the family. They pipe in the dinner (or is it breakfast?), for heaven sake. She has always impressed me as being part Scotland in her heart. I think she loves all the Commonwealth but the River Dee flows in her veins. And I really like her for that!

Well said Jack. I think that, unlike a politician of any party or ilk, HM's situation is pretty well unique.

On the one hand she and her family have both historic ties and personal ties to Scotland. On the other, she is the Queen of UK and head of the Commonwealth.

It must have left her feeling divided and, like a good deal of Scots who have homes there but whose work takes them all over the UK were denied voice. They were denied the right to vote in a referendum while teenages with no general enfranchisement were cynically granted that right.

HM can be forgiven a feeling of relief on both a personal and political level and her immediate response was that it was time to bind up their wounds and forge ahead as Scots. And there is David Cameron with his trusty petrol can thinking he can use HM as the rag in his very own molotov cocktail. (I fear the blowback may very well singe him right and properly at his next meeting with HM).

Nobody likes a braggart and I am sure HM will convey her own opinion on his behaviour, but I have to say that it seems Alex Salmond is plainly a very poor loser and David Cameron utterly graceless, insensitive and arrogant to the people of Scotland in the face of an historic win.