King Of Scotland

SD Tucker’s consideration of Idi Amin [ FT330:52-54] credits that villain’s claiming the title of ‘King of Scotland’ to his feeling “fond of his old Scottish commanding officers”, but there is real-life conspiracy here. An article in Uganda newspaper The Monitor on 25 Feb 2007 by Guweddeko Fred tells us that “On December 31, 1974 Amin issued a document addressed to all world leaders, declaring the launch of the Scottish independence struggle at the Imperial Hotel in Kampala. In the document dated December 30, 1974, Amin called on the world leaders to support the Scottish cause.”

Amin’s long pronouncement begins “Following the formation of a Scottish Provisional Government which aims at achieving complete independence for the people of Scotland, their leaders have approached me to bring their case before Your Excellencies and to the United Nations Committee on Decolonisation to consider their independence.” (http://tinyurl. com/pyc6d8x)

The identity of the visiting shadowy right wing self-elected spokesmen for Scotland is uncertain, but probably some were among the five APG [Army of the Provisional Government] men convicted of several political bombings in 1970s Scotland. The group had spent several hours briefing Amin on Scotland’s history, hoping for funds for an armed uprising. Did they get any cash? Maybe, they certainly captured his interest, and his resulting buffoonish posturing.

“The leaders of the Scottish Provisional Government assured me they consider me, General Idi Amin, as their leader and they have made me Chairman of Uganda Scottish Community.”

As if. Ewan McVicar Linlithgow, West Lothian