bi Bob Fairnie
Leavin oot thochts o the European Pairlament aw thegither, oo can threap Scotland haes its ain Pairlament. Scotland haes its ain Scottish Government. Scotland haes repraisentation in the British Pairlament. Whit daes England hiv? England haes repraisentation in the British Pairlament. Whare’s England’s English Pairlament? Whare’s England’s English Government?
Weel, oo’ve aye kent that sooth o the mairches, the tairms English an British is a richt fykie thing for thae fowk tae git thair heids roond. A mind, juist afore A left for Australia thare wis a flu epidemic in the UK. Suin efter A stertit warkin for the Australian Shipbuildin Board in Sydney, A got intae a stappit fu lift at hame time yin nicht an here this young English laddie speirt, “Bob, did you have the flu when you were in England?”
“I’ve never lived in England.” A reponed, “I just passed through it on my way to Australia.”
This brocht a smile or twa tae some o the Aussie faces in the lift.
“Yes, but you know what I mean!” he said.
“Would it not be easier for everybody if you said what you meant then people wouldn’t have to try and work it out for themselves?” wis ma repone.
Onywey, ye ken whit A mean, gin ye speir the English whit’s the diffrence atween English an British, maistlins they’ll threap that baith words means the same thing sae that English = British an British = English. Speir thaim whare thair English Pairlament is an nine times oot o ten they’ll threap that the British Pairlament’s thair English Pairlament. Speir thaim whare thair English Government is an nine times oot o ten they’ll threap that the British Government is thair English Government. Some o thaim e’en thinks that the Union Jack is the English flag. St. George wad birl in his grave.
Ach, sae noo oo’ll hiv tae gaun back ower whit Scotland haes. As weel as hivin its ain Pairlament, its ain Government an its ain repraisentation in the British Pairlament, it wad appear that Scotland haes repraisentation in the English Pairlament an aw.
As a nation, us Scots aye gets telt that oo’re ower wee, ower donnert an ower puir tae leuk efter oorsels as an independent kintrae. Sae hou come the nation that’s daein maist o this tellin an ettlin tae hing on tae us sae muckle is donnert eneuch tae hae a seetiation whaur Scots MPs can vote in the English Pairlament on maitters tae dae wi English Health, English Eddication, the English Polis an the English Cooncils etc. but thair ain English MPs cannae hae ony say on thae maitters in the Scottish Pairlament?
A ken this haes been pyntit oot afore in the Wast Lothian Quaisten but think aboot it. Whit kinna nation wad pit up wi the likes o this? Daes the Anglo-Saxon majority still aye hiv tae dae whit the Norman/Anglo-Saxon rulin clesses tells thaim tae dae or haes it juist no seen the licht yet? Aiblins us Scots shuid gie thaim yin or twa pynters an shaw thaim hou tae set up an ENP for thirsels or, gin thon’s ower radical for thaim, a plain an simple EP. Efter aw, they’re oor nearest freends an neibours.
Hame rule for England! An oo really mean the English England an no the British yin.