Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Curtsy jibe won’t help Foster a strong union
WHY didn’t she curtsy?” Arlene Foster becried over footage of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meeting the Queen. The SNP leader respectfully bowed as she met the monarch on Wednesday at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. They shook hands, smiled at each other and appeared to converse in a casual manner like two old friends.
But that was apparently not enough for Dame Arlene.
Tweeting her disapproval, the former DUP leader said that one of the “greatest privileges” during her time as Stormont First Minister was “to curtsy to members of the royal household”.
Her remarks were ripe for lampooning online. As a member of the Privy Council which advises the Queen, you would think Dame Arlene should be aware that such antiquated customs are not a requirement.
The royal family website says curtsying is not “obligatory”. While many use the “traditional” greetings of a head bow for men or a small curtsy for women, it says others “prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way”.
Dame Arlene’s brand of blinkered royalism will do the UK no favours in the debate over Scottish independence, which ramped up this week as Ms Sturgeon outlined plans to hold a second referendum on October 19, next year.
Dame Arlene’s knee-jerk remarks speak to a wider issue of communities in constituent parts of a diverse United Kingdom failing to understand each other’s differing opinions, hopes and aspirations.
Without careful management, mutual respect and diplomacy, such cracks risk becoming chasms that could very easily lead to the break-up of the Union.
The factors driving Scotland towards Indyref2 are clear: A disillusionment with the Westminster bubble, which after more than decade of the Tories in power, many Scots feel does not represent them.
Boris Johnson as Prime Minister is a Marmite presence for the Union. While he has been considered a vote-winner for the Tories in England, recent by-election defeats aside, in Scotland he helps drive voters into the arms of the SNP.
Brexit also continues to be a major fault line. The British government’s pursuit of the hardest possible exit from the European Union after the 2016 referendum roundly ignored how a clear majority in Scotland voted to remain within the bloc.
However, the road to securing Indyref2, never mind a majority voting in favour of Scotland leaving the UK, faces many challenges ahead.
With the UK government refusing to grant consent for such a ballot, Ms Sturgeon is asking Supreme Court judges to rule if Holyrood can hold a referendum without the backing of Westminster.
In the likely event this is unsuccessful, the SNP leader said she would use the next general election as a “de-facto referendum” on Scotland’s place in the UK.
It is a risky move of high-stakes brinkmanship with the British government, which may not even grant another referendum if the SNP secures a mandate for one at the next election.
Recent opinion polls on Scottish independence have tended to give a small lead to the proportion of people who would vote No - but there is also an undecided minority.
Convincing voters on issues including the monarchy, the currency, the Commonwealth and defence remains a challenge for the Yes campaign, as it was in the unsuccessful referendum in 2014.
And while Brexit may fire up some Scottish voters keen to rejoin the EU, Northern Ireland’s experience of the ongoing fall-out could deter others from contemplating a trade border with England.
Although the Scottish government’s target date is now set, the outcome of the next 15 months is far from certain.
What does seem clear though is for those wishing to maintain the Union, following the tact of Dame Arlene would be ill-advised.
Boris Johnson as PM is a Marmite presence for the Union