Slugger O'Toole

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Latest comments from grandimarkey (see all)

grandimarkey has commented 131 times (1 in the last month).

1. Comment on Scotland – choose your narrative.
   on 8 May 2012 at 10:12 pm

   This is quite telling

   The SNP are continuing to make gains in Scotland.

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2. Comment on Sinn Fein move up 6 points in latest Irish Times poll…
   on 20 April 2012 at 3:28 pm

   “If there were to be a predominantly ‘Southern’ leadership (Doherty, Mac Lochlainn, Mc Donald et al), would that be a turn-off for Nationalists in the North?”

   I seriously doubt it. Imagine the leaders debates on UTV, a Southern based leader (Doherty) debating with Unionists? Quality.

   Voting for a party with a Southern based leadership is precisely what Nationalists want to do IMO, it merely reinforces their All-Ireland view. 

   I’d imagine that there would always be a Northern aspect to the leadership team anyway…

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3. Comment on For Nationalists Only: What’s great about living in the United Kingdom?
   on 18 April 2012 at 6:08 pm

   My favourite thing above all else is the multiculturalism.

   However that phenomena is pretty much regulated to Britain and not the UK as a whole. In saying that, I was in Dublin last weekend and the various colours and creeds passing me in the street was a welcome upgrade to a city that I already love.

   I live in Britain and see a few things that I wouldn’t mind transferring to Ireland however, considering it’s Scotland that I live in, I’m not sure how much longer that nomenclature may be in use…

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4. Comment on A dark day for Glasgow Celtic
   on 14 February 2012 at 1:55 am

   BluesJazz –

   “The SPL will quickly descend to Irish league status.
   Where does that leave the fans? Probably over to England”

   I would have to disagree. I live in Glasgow, Rangers and Celtic are in the blood of Glaswegians, the standard of the football won’t stop the city from going to the games every weekend or spending money on merchandise. I can’t see ol’ Glesga, the largest city in Scotland, just ditching their football teams. It’s part of the city’s make-up.

   Rangers will return in one guise or another and the terrible beauty of the old firm will play out for another wee while yet.

   “The former Celtic fans can opt for Liverpool and the former Rangers fans for… Everton…”

   Doubt it….

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5. Comment on Chuckle Brothers reunite to warn local unionists over Scottish intervention
   on 24 January 2012 at 10:04 am

   ayeYerMa

   but if there is any of this “devo max” fudging then it is totally our business as this affects the consitution of the UK as balance and fairness is required as a whole for stability.

   But the Union isn’t fair. Northern Ireland is a drain on the Union, receiving heavy subsidies and contributing little.
   Scotland is a NET contributor to the Union and as such would like a larger slice of the pie. Seems perfectly reasonable.

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6. Comment on A constitutional crisis over a Scottish referendum?
   on 11 January 2012 at 1:25 pm

   I can’t imagine there will be much of a constitutional crisis.

   Salmond has said the SNP will hold their referendum in 2014. If independence is voted for then there will be much legal wrangling about who gets what etc but I doubt anyone would be silly enough to not recognise or move the goalposts with the result. Accept it and move on.

   Incidentally, would the United Kingdom become the Former United Kingdom? Because I don’t think that abbreviates quite as well….

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7. Comment on Scotland – it’s time – why wait?
   on 13 December 2011 at 2:09 pm

   Barnshee:
   “Er what about a referendum in GB
   Along the lines “Should we throw Scotland out of the Union” ?”

   And

   “Er Scotland (like N Ireland) is a net burden on the tax payer”
   

   These are precisely the kind of Unionist arguments that are pushing Scotland towards independence.

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8. Comment on Does Tory eurosceptics’ nationalism boost UK breakup chances?
   on 13 December 2011 at 2:06 pm

   Drumlins:
   “There also is the possibility the opposite could be true, if the perception that Europe is a common enemy it could bring England & Scotland closer together, are Scots really more Europhile than the English? I doubt it.”

   Regardless of the Scot’s collective Euro stance, they are extremely anti-tory and it’s doubtful that an old Etonian will change that decades old hatred.

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9. Comment on Donaldson calls for DUP-led pan-UK unionist movement #dupconf
   on 29 November 2011 at 5:14 pm

   Due to the nature of Northern Irish politics the DUP have never really been required to proactively sell the Union before, all that has ever been required is singing GSTQ and draping themselves in a union jack. The Scottish situation is completely different with a pro-independence movement building momentum on the benefits of separation, as well as the staggering incompetence of the pro-union parties. I’d imagine the SNP would wipe the floor with the DUP.

   The Scottish electorate have consistently shunned right and far-right parties for decades, not least since the devolution of parliament in Holyrood. The DUP are viewed as a far-right party outside of the north and to think that parachuting themselves in to help convince a growing number of Scots that they are in fact wrong about their views on independence is a slight delusion. As was said previous, the reply from Salmond would no doubt be “when can you start?”

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10. Comment on Unionism silent on Scotland and the ‘Devo Max’ question?
    on 15 November 2011 at 2:37 pm

    @Barnshee

    But if the vote was had in Scotland today the yes camp would lose, That’s why the SNP are waiting until the end of this term of office before holding it (which, in fairness, they’ve said all along).

    For Cameron to call a referendum would be for him to walk right into the SNPs hands. I can imagine now the cries of the Tories usurping Scottish law and government. It would be a terrible decision however considering how atrocious the Unionist side have been in this debate so far I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.

    More importantly however, the SNP have 4 or so years to convince around 20% (and shrinking) of the electorate to vote Yes. For a party consisting of the most cunning and politically capable operators in the British isles today that is not an insurmountable task and indeed if anecdotal evidence is anything to go by (and I seldom think it is) then I am experiencing a definite shift in mood with people I speak to.

    A momentum is growing and more and more people are talking about independence and more importantly they are talking favorably about it. In fact when a work colleague said she was worried about breaking the Union because of “All the things we rely on England for” she was most vocally derided by the majority of the staff for talking down Scotland.

    I speak only as an honorary Scot (6 years of residence in the fantastic city of Glasgow) but if the Unionists want to stop independence happening then they must campaign positively about the Union and not about Scotland’s eventual failing without it.

    I however, if I still live here, will have a giant YES badge on my lapel and will be on Sauchiehall street campaigning for independence. Scotland would be a better country without the Union, London doesn’t give a tinker’s curse about this country and a growing number of people are beginning to see it…

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