I HAVE a slight sense of unease about the cessation or amelioration of antagonism with regard to our fight for independence. This has been rightly engendered by Covid-19.

The unease extends to my expressing the original worry – as it might seem to be, or attract charges of, unseemly unworthiness, petulant paranoia and now-is-not-the-time-ism.

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Apart from that latter excuse of three years ago to fob off our democratic right to move forward, there is an indirect but nevertheless uncomfortable parallel from 106 years ago when Scotland was on the verge of “home rule”.

Everything went on hold.

Five years later a hundred thousand of the best young people of Scotland had been killed. Another half million were wounded, traumatised, disabled in mind and body.

The idea of an independent Scotland was put back for decades.

Victor Moncrieff
Lanark