I WAS reading Kevin McKenna’s column, thoroughly enjoying it and expecting it to encompass the stooshie surrounding tennis player Naomi Osaka, thus developing his comments on “women and targets” (Why do women so often seem to be targets in culture of faux outrage, June 2). After all, women being targeted in sport is nothing new.
There have always been stand-out moments in sport, some worse than others, when the press showed a misogynistic bent. John Inverdale in 2013 with his disgraceful remarks about Marion Bartoli (not a “looker”), countered with that great put down by Andy Murray to the same reporter in 2016. Inverdale, gushing, cloyingly and totally incorrectly, congratulated Murray on being the first tennis player to win two Olympic tennis golds. Deadpan correction from Andy reminding everyone that Venus and Serena had four golds each. And who can forget the spiteful, trolling comments made to Rebecca Addlington, Olympic double gold medalist? I’m sure she doesn’t.
READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Why are women often targets in online culture of faux outrage?
So will this latest “incident” be no more than yet another distraction? Headlines, until something comes along and distracts from the distractions. Like weddings and tomato sauce coming home to be made again in rUK. Aren’t we great and British? Actually no.
Take being British and homeless. I remember watching Cathy Come Home all those years ago in Bangladesh, wondering if it was a work of fiction or a documentary. It wasn’t until many years later that I learnt of its social impact and the change it brought about.
Fast forward to now and Shelter has most recently posted that 72% of renters (England) are worried about losing their homes starting the end of this month since they will no longer be protected from eviction. Or the Trussell Trust distributing 2.5 million food parcels between April 2020 and March 2021. Who cares? Is the great British public holding rUK government to account? It doesn’t seem so. It appears that the bread and circuses that is being doled out seems to be working our well enough amongst a high proportion of the rUK public.
And there’s more to come with the announcement that a four-day bank holiday from June 2-5 2022 will be held to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee. Really? At the best of times, I doubt that in Scotland we’ll be doing all that street party, bunting stuff, and after the stooshie this year with Broon and William in waiting.
But then who knows what we’ll Scotland will be celebrating come next year?
We can but hope.
Selma Rahman
Edinburgh
WITH the Scottish LibDems no longer an “opposition party” in Holyrood, and really more of a small gathering opposing anything SNP, and with not one Ukip, Alba, or Reform MSP elected, the Green Party becomes the true Scottish Government “opposition party”, as opposed to the ConDemSlab “Not SNP” opposition party(s).
Minority government in a devolved Scotland setting may be acceptable to the electorate, but a minority government trying to change to the context of Scotland being an independent EU nation state may be quite another matter.
READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: Murdo Fraser's sudden change of heart is all down to fear
Any governance arrangement between the SNP and Green Party might well be equated with having a devolved Scotland having a majority government, with no component party being run from London, which was never ever the intention of Westminster.
The citizens of Scotland would be given a glimpse of a potentially stable independent Scotland majority government, which they may/may not like, but is a further clarification as to who would be guiding Scotland to becoming an independent EU nation state, and beyond, if they vote YES2.
Stephen Tingle
Greater Glasgow
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