Now Harry Potter follows his creator in urging Scots to say No to independence
HARRY Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has advised Scots to vote against separation.
He followed JK Rowling, author of the boy wizard series, in publicly backing the Union.
But Radcliffe also admitted the kind of Cybernat abuse directed at Miss Rowling stops him from joining Twitter.
Perhaps mindful of the vitriolic backlash she received after making a £1million donation to Better Together, he attempted to strike a diplomatic note – but Scots comic Stanley Baxter and historian Simon Schama have been more outspoken in their attacks on independence.
Speaking in New York, Radcliffe told Buzzfeed: ‘I personally like the UK being how it is. I can totally see why some people in Scotland might want independence. But it’s also not up to me. I don’t get a say in the future of Scotland and that’s fair. I’m sure they’ll make the right decision for their country.’
On Twitter abuse, he added: ‘It is just a whole lot of craziness. Twitter is brilliant for some things but I am not that concise anyway, so I wouldn’t do that well out of it as a format.’
Passionate No supporter Baxter told the Radio Times: ‘Scots can deny it as much as they like but I’ve seen a lot of anti-English sentiment expressed north of the Border – and never anti-Scots sentiments south of the Border.
‘They don’t know any better. It’s got to do with these dreadful films they’ve made, anti-English films, and that wretched Australian Braveheart – it’s not even correct historically.’
But he is confident independence will be rejected in the referendum, saying: ‘They’re canny, the Scots.’
Also in the Radio Times, TV historian Schama said of nationalism: ‘It’s horrible. I hate tribal identities. I don’t get on with those who want to plant a flag in a piece of the world and adopt a tribal identity.
‘If nation states are devolving into the Scots and the English, the Flemish and Walloons, that’s an awful, surprising return to the most visceral, romantic ethnicity left over from the 19th century. It’s a dangerous reaction against globalisation.’
But actress Elaine C Smith, a member of the Yes Scotland advisory board, said: ‘Everybody, including celebrities, is entitled to his or her view about Scotland’s future. But no amount of magic dust could be sprinkled to make Daniel Radcliffe’s comments sound like a No endorsement. As he said, it is a decision for the people of Scotland.’
A Better Together spokesman said: ‘Stanley Baxter is a welcome addition to the list of personalities saying No Thanks to separation. Or as he might have put it, “Scoatland is a wrabetter fursaying nawta”.’
On Radcliffe’s support, he added: ‘It doesn’t take a wizard to work out that being part of the UK is in the best interests of Scotland.’