Quintin Jardine's blog

According to the wizened seer that is Vince Cable, the problem with teachers is that ‘they know absolutely nothing about the world of work.’ I have always suspected that for all his PhD in economic integration and industrialisation, Dr Cable is actually a very skilfully disguised idiot, and I am grateful to him for proving it.

As a man who finally became an MP at the fifth attempt, aged fifty-three, he should know that if there is a profession worthy of such criticism above all others, that is politics. From the Prime Minister upwards, the Front Benches on both sides of the House are populated by people who moved seamlessly from long-term education into Party back offices and through them into safe Westminster seats, with not the faintest idea of what is happening outside their cosy little world. Second in the insularity stakes is journalism, with public relations coming third. I say all of this with authority, having worked in two of those sectors, and observed the third closely over many years.

The truth is Vince, that teachers make an invaluable contribution to our ever-evolving society, which politicians are most famous for besmirching.

Anyone who was naive enough to believe that the Scottish Independence debate would be a matter for Scots alone, must be staring gloomily into his porridge this morning. With all the subtlety of a Putin on nose candy, Westminster has marshalled its allies into a campaign of misinformation, browbeating and outright bullying. We have had scare upon scare, threat upon threat, lie upon lie, even though we are still six months before Referendum Day.

Today, the programme has rolled out the Dutch head of Shell Oil to say that it would be better for his company if Scotland remained part of the UK, because it values continuity and stability. As the Scottish Government has been very quick to point out, that is hardly guaranteed within the context of a continuing United Kingdom, where we are promised an in-out referendum on EU membership.

The fact is, all this is a sham. Shell will continue to do business in an independent Scotland. So will Lloyds, Barclays (even though its profile north of the border is barely discernible with fewer than a dozen branches), RBS and even Standard Life, which actually diluted its Scottishness when it demutualised. So don’t believe any of their hints, their threats and their innuendos. On the day that Scotland assumes total control of its own affairs, every one of these companies will be knocking on the door of the cabinet room wanting to be our new best friend.

Yes for Scotland.

http://www.scottishreview.net/?utm_source=Sign-Up.to&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8427-313792-What+you+should+know+about+the+company+threatening+to+quit+Scotland

Thank you again, Kenneth, for exposing hypocrisy at the highest level.

This comment on the previous post, by Fred from sunny Sydney, is so on the mark that I feel it deserves to be a post in its own right.

‘Agree Quintin.

I have been following this from afar, having departed Scotland 40 years ago.

It appears EVERY article The Scotsman runs, makes mention of a possible negative financial impact, should there be a yes vote, and emphasises supposed dire ‘told you so ‘problems should Scotland cut itself free of England.

Well, I’m resident in Australia now, and THEY cut themselves free of England many years ago (apart from the queen, and some of us are working on that) and have prospered while England has deteriorated.

You may not have the weather or minerals we have, but I think you have all the personal capabilities that they have here, so there is absolutely no reason why Scotland shouldn’t prosper on its own.

However, I am now beginning to wonder whether due to the negative nellies peddling their doom and gloom stories, whether Scotland actually has the COURAGE to vote yes.

Scotland The Brave?

I guess we’ll see in September.‘

Attention please, for I will say this only once. (Fat chance!)

So far, every single objection to an independent Scotland has been based, when you dig down into it, on one thing alone. Money.

The principal objectors are the wealthy, individuals and big business, and all those other vested interests, who are scared to stick a single toe out of their comfort zone. They’ve all forgotten the Horlicks that Westminster made of the UK economy by the shoddy regulation that it put in place, and by its determination to persuade the electorate that everything was New Labour Rosey when actually it was disappearing up its own fundament at a rate of knots. The Better Together campaign is harnessing one thing alone, and that is the self-interest of the better off. 

Nobody seriously argues that Scotland is incapable of managing a strong vibrant economy, not any more, but they’re using any means available to divert attention from the other opportunity that independence  offers, the chance to create a safe, compassionate society where every citizen is valued equally, not one run by a clique that’s only interested in looking out for its own.

My new grandson, Rex Masato Jardine, was born on February 15, to my daughter-in-law Kyoko, and my son Allan. Before any of those three were a twinkle, I knew how I’d vote in any independence ballot,  if I ever had the chance. Now my motivation is even stronger. When I put my cross in the ‘Yes’ box on September 18, I’ll do so first and foremost because I believe it’s best for Rex.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10649986/Independent-Scottish-charities-face-missing-out-on-National-Lottery-millions.html

Of all the bloody stupid bluster we’ve seen over the last few days, this may rank as the bloody stupidest! Beyond doubt independence will be followed in short order by a new Scottish National Lottery; I predict that this will run on a not for profit basis, unlike Lotto, where 10p of every £2 stake (and that’s a lot of pennies) goes to the operator Camelot, which is owned, bizarrely, by the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund.

Given that Scots are inveterate punters, it is entirely possible that Scottish charities will gain in net lottery disbursements.