


Alex Salmond, Little Englander

In his determination to dismember Britain, Scotland’s leader has some surprising allies

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Readers' comments



Roll on Sausage

"Since his days as a gadfly member of the House of Commons in the 1980s, Mr Salmond has portrayed the British state as a relic, calling it “fundamentally unattractive” and sunk in xenophobic decline."

Don't see any problem with that. It seems a pretty spot on analysis to me even if it is difficult and upsetting for the metropolitan commentariat to accept.

The UK is reduced to scrounging in order to stay afloat. Yet the UK nurtures an almost mythical attitude of entitlement and expectancy (a bit like Scottish Unionists, in reality).

Incidentally, I thought we'd nailed the banking myth. To repeat, it is inconsistent for all the assets, profits and revenues of these banks to be claimed for England, yet the moment it all goes pear shaped, the liabilities are awarded to Scotland. I remember the heady days when RBS was derided for having a token Head Office presence in Scotland, but all the big actions and decisions were taken down in London - the centre of the universe - where it matters. Funny how things change.

Cake and eating it, spring to mind. But then, we Scots are pretty use to such behaviour from the British state as, I suspect, are most of the rest of the world.


Bagehot, i am dissapointed, your article reeks of bias.

Salmond anti-English because he is against the UK Government? Only illiterate, ignorant bottom-dwellers will buy that. What is your agenda?

Or are you just totally clueless to what actually gets said over here?

scots wha hae

On Salmonds supposed hypocrisy, the fundamental flaw in the argument is that being anti a westminster Government is anti English. Using this same logic, any English person that was against Thatcher's government would also be 'Anti-English'. Commentators really have to grow up and acknowledge that being against the Westminster constitutional arrangement is not automatically being anti-english. This is highly irresponsible as it stokes a myth of hatred between the Scots and the English.


It is easy to see that this article has been written by someone inside the M25 beltway. From scanning all London based media, it is perfectly clear that London/England certainly doesn't get Scotland.
Let me point out a few home truths to you.
1. The SNP is not Scotlands only independence party but it is by far, the largest.
2. Scotland is a nation and one in a Treaty of Union with England, a supposed Treaty of equals. English Law is not subservient to Scots Law and vice versa. The Blair created Supreme Court in London has no place in Scots Law.
3. Scotland seeks self-determination. A perfectly laudible aspiration for a recognisable nation as viewed in international convention.
4. Our emascualted parliament as devised by Blair and subsequently ignored by Labour is not fit for purpose as it stands as Scots cannot influence or defend its economy from the nonsense being perperated in the other country.
5. We have nuclear weapons based on our soil against the express wishes of nearly 100% of the Scots people.
6. We are an energy rich nation with massive fuel poverty partly created by an adminsitration in Westminster that relishes placing horredous levels of tax on a volitile world commodity.
7. Our fishing industry, once crucial to our coastal communities, has bee pawned off by Westmister policitians despite our appeals to the contrary.
8. Westminster and the Union no longer serve the people of Scotland and either needs to ba abolished as it stands or re-invented. Failure to do so will see Scotland leave the Union in short measure.
9. We, the Scots can appeal to the Council of Europe to plead our case and, it will be heard. We cn request the OSCE to supervise our referendum away from the cronies who populate the Electoral Commission. Who could see anything wrong with that.
10. And lastly, in persuit of our desire for self -determination we can appeal to the United Nations for protection from perfisious Albion. The Helsinki Final Act and the Vienna Accord, to which the UK is a signatory protects the rights of Scots in this regard, from unwarranted interference from a mother state (UK)England in determining our future. This appeal is only days away.


The article sums up Salmond well in terms of his disingenuity and distasteful politik in which he and his ilk contribute nothing but division, bigotry and conflict with England whilst using the thinly disguised 'Westminister' pseudonym. He believes that by invoking popular media in criticizing the Scottish Executive (him) is the surest way to independence by shouting loudly at how he (the Scottish people) is being disrespected.

I, and the majority of rational Scots, are put off by his arrogance and will not vote for independence. I am proud to be a Scot and a Brit and feel that Salmond is sowing the seeds of discontent amongst us in Scotland never mind England. He is using our own bigoted history between Irish Scot Catholics and Protestants to his advantage with the former having a feeling towards anything English close to hatred.

Scots need to ask themselves “Independence from what”? and “Freedom from what”? So King Salmond can reign supreme with absolutely no discernable change for the economic welfare of the Scottish people?

Jocko1 in reply to SlyFifer

This could have been written by Salmond's spin doctor, or even King Eckie himself. Only the spelling gives it away as the diatribe of an uneducated bigot.
I implore everybody to see Salmond on First Minister's Questions. There you will get the measure of the man. A man who shouts and bawls at his opponents, rants and raves like a man possessed. His cronies behind him laugh and shout like hyenas at anybody who doesn't agree with the SNP line. The You Tube Hitler/ Salmond spoof is spot on.

Thankfully, the majority of Scots also think of themselves as British, and we have no intention of handing over our country to this snake oil salesman and his hangers on.

"of course we Scots are lucky enough to have the one of the best brands in the world" Take financial services. With RBS and HBOS - two of the world's biggest banks - Scotland has global leaders today, tomorrow and for the long-term. And .....[the world] are discovering that the Scottish financial sector can do anything you can do in London and can do it better" (Alex Salmond) - Your point being?


Agree with the previous comment. Disagreeing with the politics of the parliament in London does not make someone anti - English in general. That's just a silly accusation.

"The UN initially comprised just 51 independent nations. Today, that figure has risen to more than 190. Meanwhile, the last big expansion of the EU in 2004 saw the admission of 10 new members – six of them smaller than Scotland and six of which had become independent since 1990. An independent Scotland with access to all our nation’s resources will be the sixth most prosperous nation in the OECD league table – compared with the UK’s number 16 placing. Globalization has gone hand in hand with a growing desire for nations to take responsibility for their own affairs. Joining the family of nations as an independent and equal nation will see Scotland completing its home rule journey." (Alex Salmond)


This is a fairly disgusting article, and the writer should be called to account for it. Its both horrific and offensive to link the desire to separate from westminster to bigotry. It is also unjust to assume that everyone who wishes for independance is doing so due to a bigoted empty-headed form of nationalism.
There are important arguments for and against independance and we need a well researched piece that looks into both arguments. Not a offensive distraction like this.

Elsueno in reply to amicusalba

Yes you are right, Joan called the 3 unionist parties anti-Scottish because unlike her they follow a Westminster rhetoric designed to benefit the City and the South East. They are so pro-Scottish!


I could not agree more with the last paragraph:

"The SNP leader has a right to argue for Scottish independence. But to make that case, he is seeking to make the English into foreigners, and deny millions of hyphenated Britons, from Anglo-Scots to black British, the country in which they feel at home, Britain. That is not a progressive act, nor a modern one. Warm words about friendship between neighbours cannot excuse it."

At a time when people in general should perhaps be trying to find ways to come together, it is sad to see some trying so hard to split us apart. Will the pull of nationalism end one day? Or could it at least be replaced with a more benign form of tribalism, if there ever was such a thing?


"with many English using Britain when they meant England". I wonder when Bagehot will learn the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?

amicusalba in reply to STOP RISK

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to enquire which type of Nationalist Crystal Meth you have ingested. I have witnessed the ramblings of a CyberNat but your post intrigues me. I would also like to know, more importantly, is it affordable on the benefits you (perhaps fraudulently) claim and does it comes with 2 x 3/24hr bigot pills.

You are a credit to the SNP - but alas not to Scotland.

Mad Hatter

I think Roderick Liddle said it better in the Sunday Times when he was affronted by the unexpected appearance of Scotland’s First Minister on his television,


Sounds about right.

amicusalba in reply to SlyFifer

The mad written rambilings of a CyberNat.

"Appeal to the Council of Europe" - "Ask the OSCE" - "Appeal to the UN for protection" - "Unwarranted intereference from a mother state England"

Good comedy value though

amicusalba in reply to Elsueno

Then you are as flawed as her intollerant and anti-English sentiments where you believe patriotism for one's country can only be countenanced by Nationalism and seperatism

You also seriously believe that none of the UK benefits but the City and South East? Which of course produces no wealth at all for redistribution? You believe the distribution of wealth is deliberately skewed in a scorched earth policy to Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow Edinburgh and Aberdeen and every other city in between?

Have you ever been to London or just via Dick Whittington stories and Mel Gibson?


I have no problem in calling my self a Muslim Scot. I wish I could go out with my and wee kids and all vote for an independent Scotland or devo max. I have seen no scottish muslims here in scotland,calling themselves 'British'. Yes, I have seen this in Main England. In my opinion, all ethnic pakistanis and their kids feel more scottish than 'British'.


"the British government should be liable for the bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland and its vast debts (London officials failed to regulate the banks, sniffed the first minister)."

He also said that " Scotland would take it's share"
Somthing you Unionists conveniently forget to mention.

amicusalba in reply to scots wha hae

Ah the oozing sound of piousness from Nationalists. Disingenuity of the most sneering kind. "It's the system you see"

The stoking of hatred is one that Salmond & SNP happily play to. Haughty cries of "Bullying and hectoring the Scottish people from London" and Joan MacAlpine calling her own fellow Scots as "anti-Scottish" becuase they do not espouse to their views.


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