So long, old friend, so long
One Last Post about last night: at one point in the coverage I spotted our Prime Minister in a free seat and idly posted a tweet wondering who had let him in. Through the magic of an auto-arrangement the Headline techies have set up, this was copied on to my Facebook author page. That post prompted someone called Alan Jones to remark as follows:
‘Inappropriate comment. De friend time. Over. Bye bye’
For the record, Alan, I have no idea who you are, but clearly you have heard of me, and that is a compliment of sorts. However, if you believe that a Facebook friendship gives you the right to censor my political opinions, then I am well shot of you. By the way, this will auto-post on Facebook also.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
Like Alan I am disappointed in your comment. Not because you support the yes campaign which you are fully entitled to do but because you have resorted to the personal insults that those who don’t support independence get thrown at us on a regular basis. I am many things but those who know me will tell you that I am not a feartie. I have spent a lot of money on your books and downloads and as a loyal reader deserve better than that
Big Man seriously no’ pleased, Jim, as Ford Keenan used to say on Chewin’ the Fat. If I had called our Prime Minister an Old Etonian Twat, that would have been a personal insult. But I didn’t, although I admit that phrase might have escaped from my keyboard in the past. By and large I don’t do gratuitous insults.
As it happens, my antipathy to the man has nothing to do with September 18. I don’t believe that he’s a worthy leader of what is for the moment, my country. I’d respect him if he’d had the courage in 2010 (and the political nous) to form a minority administration, as he could have done, but he didn’t. Instead he gave us a coalition that included a couple of people I really do detest, and hung a couple of millstones around his own neck. He bought the power he has with favours when a braver man, a John Major, even, or a Heseltine, would have stuck by the undiluted principles in his manifesto.
I call it as I see it, and when I say that I have yet to hear a positive argument for sticking with the status quo I mean it. Everything I hear from my No friends … and they still are … is built on their fear that an independent Scotland will have a negative impact on their own financial well-being. If your view is more positively based then good luck to you. My wife will probably cancel me out, unless I hide her postal ballot paper, so at the moment, you’re winning.
So, while I respect your views, I reject your criticism and deny having insulted you, or anyone else, in any way. But I have a more deep-seated concern. I thank you for your loyalty as a reader, and I’m sure my publisher thanks you at least three times as much, for that’s the way it goes, but I hope you’re not suggesting that in buying my books, in some way you’re buying me. If so, I might counter by saying that as a guy who’s knocked his pan out for twenty years producing works for your entertainment and enjoyment, I might deserve a little myself.