The Union will never be the same again after this debacle
A LOT of heat has been generated in the last few days over Nicola Sturgeon’s use of the word “detest”. I am therefore quite happy to put it on record that I also detest the Tory Party, at least in its current incarnation. I also will put on record that I don’t detest Tories. One of my best and longest-standing friends of 50 years is an inveterate, unshakeable Tory, and I mean a Telegraph, Express and Mailreading Tory of the most incorrigible kind, and yet we get along fine (most of the time; it’s unlikely he’ll read this). I also have several other Tory friends who are thoroughly decent people and amusing, convivial company who will be looking aghast at recent goings-on.
I accept though that Nicola Sturgeon should have been more explicit on why she detests the Tory Party, although I doubt that she would have had the time in a short political interview, so if she will forgive me I will have a go on her behalf: I started detesting the Tory Party around 1980 when Margaret Thatcher ripped the heart out of industrial Scotland (and the UK) in a deliberate attempt, first to destroy the trade union movement, and second to destroy our industrial base, so that Britain could become the great car-owning, home-owning service economy of her fantasies, centred of course on the City of London where all her cronies and funders lived.
As the famous myth of trickledown economics failed, and reliance on the City of London finally imploded (ironically under a New Labour government) I found no reason to change my views on the Tory Party, but then had to change my opinion of the Labour Party as well. Subsequently, when the Conservative/libdem coalition of 2010 imposed the austerity policies (which are the fundamental reasons for our current plight) led eventually to the debacle of Brexit under the Cameron-osborne Tory government, my detestation of the Tory Party was well and truly confirmed.
I could go on with many other reasons for detesting the Tory Party but your readers will possibly have read enough. Something good can come of this though: British politics, and the Union, will never be the same after this debacle, and I believe that the UK will look very different in five years’ time.
John Jamieson, Ayr.