The Labour Party should support Scottish independence

After a bruising week the Labour Party is due to do some soul searching. One of the questions it should consider is whether to continue as a unionist party on the issue of Scottish independence.

 

 

• Independence is the right way forward for Scotland. Countries like Nigeria, India, even the United States have all prospered after leaving the British Empire. None of them want to rejoin.

• The Labour Party stands for modern progressive democratic values. Scotland wants to be independent to pursue our modern progressive democratic values. Even inside the straightjacket of union the Scottish government has introduced free prescriptions, free university education and the Scottish Child Payment. Why would Labour want to be an obstacle to more such policies?

• It's clearly better democracy to have the country of Scotland represented internationally by a Scottish leader of a Scottish government. Local concerns can be better raised in a polity of 5 million people instead of lost among the concerns of 65 million.

• I'll give a specific example of where the UK government has thrown Scottish interests under the bus. Whisky. Trump imposed a 25% tariff on single malt Scotch whisky which cost the industry millions. No one was there to stand up for Scotland when this trade war broke out. In fact, given a range of options it's possible that the UK negotiating team felt Scotch whisky was the best option because "Scotland's half out anyway." Then Brexit happened. Whisky exports to the EU went from £100m in Jan 2020 to £34m in Jan 2021. Another trade deal negotiated where the UK did nothing to protect our interests.

• There will be a place for Labour in an independent Scotland. A new Scotland-specific party could in fact do rather well once the SNP is no longer carried by the independence question but rises or falls on the quality of its government. Historically Labour has done very well here.

• Independence is not about punishing the rest of the UK. It's about building an amazing country that will be an example to the world, including offering hope and an excellent example to the rest of the UK. In time things will be better in places like Hartlepool if Scotland becomes independent, prospers, and shows people that there's an achievable progressive and fair society that can be attained just by voting for it. We will be your prosperous successful cousins next door who will show ordinary British people that there's no need to settle for two lost decades.

• a sizeable chunk of the Labour party quietly supports independence or at least believes that Scotland should be allowed to choose.

• it's an awful look to be siding so closely with the Tories, you encouraged Labour voters to vote Tory to block the SNP and you may never get them back. It looks like policies imposed by London on Scottish Labour politicians who cringe at having to defend them.

• the solution Labour proposes from time to time of some sort of enhanced devolution or federalism is a solution no one asked for, no one wants and shows a top down out of touch managerialism which is something we've seen in Labour before and which voters across Britain really dislike. If you really want to annoy voters then mansplaining your wonkish ivory tower technocracies is the way to do it. Don't tell us, listen to us.

• it's easy for people in Scotland to feel that some people in Labour in England want to keep us trapped here because we give you 50 seats that won't vote Tory. That's electoral colonialism and is a shameful reason to deny people self-determination.

• while we're still in the Union friendship with the SNP is of enormous tactical advantage to Labour. In 2019 Jeremy Corbyn ruled out working with the SNP to form a government. Had he agreed to then he would have only needed 278 seats for Labour + SNP to form a coalition government. The bar in 2024 is raised by nearly 50 seats for Labour to win. You do want to win, right? Bringing the SNP on side is your best chance to do that and that means embracing at least our right to self-determine but better supporting our efforts to create an amazing friendly neighbouring country that will be your best achievement in government. Remember Atlee, the PM who created the NHS, considered Indian Independence his 'finest achievement'.

   

  (Source: https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/the-british-pm-who-oversaw-indias-independence/295156)
  

Poem: swift

 RSPB Scotland asked for something inspired by swifts:

Swift, you give our spirits a lift, you're such a gift, I love the nifty way you bank and then drift, we stare all at your aerial thrift, adrift on wind currents, soaring as they shift, you're wonderful dear darling swift.

 

Bit silly I know, but it's good to support these things. Here's the twitter link. https://twitter.com/CallduronVorn/status/1390961225639636993

Caster of Magic for Windows, turn one

 With the new patch for the classic 1994 Master of Magic we may be seeing some new players so here's a plan of how to do your first turn.

This plan depends on having at least one book in Nature Magic. (If you don't take that you'll need to explore with units).

One book in Nature Magic let's us use one of two powerful map reveals which makes the early landgrab much easier.

Here's our start:

We're going to get a map reveal on turn 2 but until then we have to clear the fog of war by moving our units out. There are no random monsters at this stage so we're fine leaving the capital unguarded.

 Here's it with our units moved.

Next we'll cast one of our map reveal spells. I'm casting Nature's Eye but Earth Lore is also fine.

We don't have enough mana so we'll change how much mana we produce to maximum current mana income abandoning research and spell skill for now. We'll also alchemise most of our gold into power.

That gives a fair amount of mana for this start which is very useful for this build allowing us to cast several spells. As soon as you don't need to cast something you can balance out your mana income later in the game.

Finally we'll do our building. I'm choosing Marketplace into Granary. I don't have Sawmill available otherwise that might be my first pick.

And on turn 2 here's what the map looks like after the reveal.

The highlighting of areas that can be settled is a new feature and quite useful. (It's showing a band at top right and a desert square in the south west).

Hope that helps, enjoy this classic game if you're coming back or just starting it.

HSW: poem. Wall

 High Street Writers (HSW) is a local writers' group where we write to prompts. The prompt for this one was wall. Here's my effort:

Wall by SJ

Wall.

Build your wall,
build it tall.
Your country's pedestal.
Gloat when it appalls us, galls us
That you festoon it with cages
Filled with kids of all ages
While the decent world rages.

Your wall will fall.

We'll watch you bawl
When we end it all.
Your vulgarity, barbarity, and open criminality
Will  never beat humanity.

Your  wall will fall.