IT’S personal, Mr Khan! No matter the back-tracking on Saturday afternoon at the smaller-than-usual-I-wonder-why Scottish Labour Party Spring Conference, Sadiq Khan’s early pronouncements show both a disrespect and lack of understanding of the political and social awareness of Scotland.
There is a vast “difference between Scottish nationalism and those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion”.
For instance, my vision of Scottish nationalism, and that of my late immigrant father, is both inter- and inclusive, predicated on independence.
Khan appears to be confusing his narrow approach to independence and internationalism with inward-looking bigotry, sectarianism and racism. Not bad for a day tripper, parachuted in! Has he already forgotten the stooshie around his own campaign, and the support he received from Scotland and elsewhere following on from comments from Zac Goldsmith?
We will always call out racism, remember that, no matter whose!
But this demonstrates not just a lack of understanding of Scotland and our politics, it clearly shows that Scottish Labour need to rely on the (so-called) big guns from England to be parachuted in, rally the troops and leave … for metropolitan London.
For Khan to infer the indy movement here is comparable to “the rise of populist and narrow-minded nationalist parties around the world” is as insulting to voters here as it is comical. Comical that he should exhort us to realise “that now is not the time to play on people’s fears, or to pit one part of our country against the other”. Presumably he had never heard of Project Fear, nor a had knowledge of the composition of the Scottish governing parties and the voting patterns over the last decade or so.
In turn his desire to “build a more united kingdom” is at odds with Scottish Labour’s plea yet again, for federalism. Why would the current rUK Government even begin to discuss “federalism”, far less consider a new Act of Union, when it is riding high in the polls, faces no opposition from a defunct Labour Party and can rely on Brexiteers as it continues with its Brexiting programme?
This inability of Labour to nurture strong leadership, policies and a vision for Scotland continues to contribute to the vacuum at its core. Does Khan know or Kezia Dugdale remember that very recently she wanted to reach out to Yes voters? Obviously not, since he would not have been allowed to call me a racist. Sorry, that’s the wrong way round, isn’t it? London calls the shots and Scottish Labour jumps.
You’ve made it personal, Mr Khan. My (late) father belonged to the generation of Quit India, Quit India and Divide, with all its dire consequences, none of which (deaths of family and friends) deterred him from being a fervent believer in the right to self-determination and Scottish independence all those years ago. I rather think though he would have left the Labour Party, just as I have done. In turn, I may be many things, but comparable to Trump I am not.
Selma Rahman
Edinburgh
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The BBC’s latest con trick should not be welcomed
AS I’ve read through columnists, politicians and pundits falling over themselves to “cautiously welcome” and praise the “step in the right direction” of the BBC’s con trick, I’ve begun to fear that people so credulous have already lost us the coming referendum.
This is nothing more than another worthless “vow” designed for a single purpose – to prevent the establishment of a Scottish Six, and so ensure that the existing state propaganda channels remain firmly in place to churn out the same lying crap in the run-up to the next referendum.
If the vote is No, then the Yoons will claim there is no support for a Scottish channel and scrap it. If the vote is Yes, then it’s up in the air anyway, but our licence fees will continue to haemorrhage down to London in the interim. So beware Yoons bearing “gifts”.
Linda Horsburgh
Dundee
I STOPPED listening to the BBC News on the radio and stopped watching it on television quite some time ago, having found it untrustworthy. However, I do read the BBC test news service with the salt cellar close by. On Saturday, I was struck by these BBC text news stories. The top Scottish headlines were: 1) Dugdale to work tirelessly for Union. 2) City homes least affordable since 2009. 3) Mayor Khan attacks narrow nationalism. In the UK news: 8) Mayor Khan attacks narrow nationalism.
On the politics page: 2) Mayor Khan attacks narrow nationalism. 4) Dugdale to work tirelessly for Union. In the main headlines: 10) Mayor Khan attacks narrow nationalism.
However, Mayor Khan’s words are not reported on the London pages nor any of the other 38 (yes, 38!) English pages! There was not a single Scottish good news story to be found, nor one reporting the independence debate. There were no Scottish stories on the technology or science pages. (There are lots of exciting developments in Scotland being ignored).
So, this then is at the very heart of the BBC news service and it is clear that it isn’t changing into neutral, so the prognosis for BBC Scotland is dreich. As is the spelling on many of these BBC pages.
Christopher Bruce
Taynuilt
THE finest example of metropolitan parochialism occurred probably in early in 1966, when a nuclear incident took place at the US Polaris base on the Holy Loch. This had the potential to irradiate most of the population of west central Scotland.
Concurrently and entirely coincidentally, an eagle escaped from London Zoo and flew around the centre of the city to the fear and alarm of the lieges. There are no prizes whatsoever being offered for guessing which item took precedence on the 6pm BBC “national” news bulletin.
Archive of this must still exist, and could appear alongside the myriad other repeat and replay material awaiting Scotland’s new budget TV channel.
Alan Clayton
Westfield, Strachur
I SHARE Dr Iain Whyte’s disappointment that the recent Scottish Budget did not do more to address income inequality in Scotland (Letters, February 25).
Dr Whyte’s argument for redistributive taxation focuses on income tax. While I don’t disagree with his arguments, I would suggest that tackling inequality in Scotland must also involve redistributing wealth.
In Scotland, the wealthy are getting wealthier. The most effective way to consolidate wealth is to own property. If we are serious about tackling inequality in Scotland we must therefore tax land and property more effectively and fairly.
I suggest the Scottish Government scraps the Council Tax (as it promised it would do) and replaces it with a Land Values Tax.
Coinneach Wright
Inbhir Nis
CAMPAIGNING has started for the May elections and already I’m seeing a commonly repeated lie appearing in Tory propaganda leaflets, a lie which must be called out strenuously. We were allegedly “promised” that the indyref would be a “once in a generation” decision. It was a warning, not a promise.
Derek Ball
Bearsden
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