Don’t hate English

At last we have someone telling it as it is. Glasgow-born actor and co median Craig Ferguson is quoted in the piece in The Scots man on 1 June, as saying that growing up in Cumbernauld, he was “taught to fear and loathe the English”.

He further states that his generation grew up believing “we were victims of the system” and “indoctrinated with negativity”.

To “fear and loathe the English” is “an absurd prejudice that quite a few Scots still suffer from.” Here at last we have confirmation of the grievance and blame culture at the heart of SNP action.

Does this give us an insight into the real reason for the cancer of narrow, controlling nationalism which is destroying Scotland? Anti- englishness permeates the nationalist psyche, we experience it every day in social media and it is not acceptable – it is racism.

I grew up knowing nothing of this anti-englishness but it does appear still to be the norm in some parts of Scotland and it has been inflicted on the rest of the country through the march for separation. If this “loathing the English” is the reason some people crave separation, they should take a long, hard look at themselves because this is no reason to wreck 300 years of union. This is confirmation that separatists think emotionally and not realistically.

One thing I have to disagree with Craig Ferguson about is his statement that “modern separatists are much more inclined to be motivated by economics than any revisionist fairytales”.

SNP supporters I have asked to explain the economics of an independent Scotland don’t have a clue, but, of course, neither does their Finance Secretary. Ask them about the “fairytales” and they are right on the mark.

DOUGLAS COWE Alexander Avenue, Kingseat, Newmachar, Aberdeenshire