England might triumph in the Euros… but the real winner could be Scotland as support for independence will explode Chris Sweeney writes an interesting article today on RT making the point that –
England might triumph in the Euros… but the real winner could be Scotland as support for independence will explode
While explode might be a bit of wishful thinking given the nature of us Scots to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory he does make some very good points and it is well worth a read. Chris points out that ‘to be British is, for the most part, to be English’. We have all grown up with that one, everyday of our lives this lurks in the back ground of our colonisation as a country. The government, the Royal family, the mainstream media, the BBC and all the rest are wedded to the idea of the United Kingdom. As we have noted before the UK is not 4 nations, it is the establishment and the English Government wrapped up in two letters and a flag pretty much hated all over the world, Scotland, Wales, and North Ireland are just along for the ride.
Chris points out that the English national anthem, God Save the Queen, is also the British one. England’s capital, London, is the seat of power for Britain, politically and royally. English bank notes are often the only ones accepted internationally. Most people watching the coverage of the match, or the aftermath on the BBC in particular in Scotland, will have been a bit pissed off to be honest. We heard that Britain had beaten Germany, we saw the Royals and Johnson jumping about, we heard the us as England being shouted and it all does highlight that ‘to be British is, for the most part, to be English’ , it’s how it has always been and always will be wither we like it or not. Andy Murray, British when he wins, Scottish when he loses, but does this help the cause of Scottish Independence? If the English Football Team can win the tournament we will see England in all it’s glory, they will be dancing in the streets, and that’s just the Windsor’s, there might be a national holiday, there might a lot of anti-Scottish sentiment like some of the
disgusting tweets that appeared online after England beat Germany directed at a little girl . They will fight with each other in the streets, and they will in a few cases express comments that might border on being racist, it is their way for a minority. So while an England tournament win I don’t think will have any long lasting effect on the idea of who may shift to being a yes voter in the longer term, it might be a boost on the back of the latest poll that showed that independence had fallen to 48% as Sturgeon and the SNP continue to do nothing to get moving on a new campaign that we so badly need so Harry Kane might just do, in the short term, what Nicola Sturgeon has failed to do in recent times and that is to give Scottish Independence the boost that it so badly needs and my money is also on Scottish Ministers falling over themselves to congratulate England on any victory, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP after all are as British as the English.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
You need a referendum first and answers to all the difficult questions. We’re several years away from that so an England tournament win would make no difference other than ruining my life.
Dave
Yeah totally, I don’t care if they win it or not and rarely watch the tv anyway these days. I tend to be reading or listening to music to be honest. It might get people wound up though but at the end of the day I suppose it matters little.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
For me the most important sentence in the article was: “Yes, they are English, but they represent Britain – and there’s no way they would have been doing that for any other of the home nations.”
The UK will always be England with a few blobs around the edges. That’s the message, all day, every day. Could it be changed? Absolutely. Given a concerted effort you could make Britishness include all the nations in the UK but it would take a concerted effort over generations and it would only work if Englishness was erased in the process. That’s never going to happen as the system is currently working just the way it’s intended to.
So while the championship might not boost independence it’s certainly strongly reinforcing the status of Scotland as the “red-headed, stepchild”.
Stuart
I know some Brits, like my brother, who would be more than happy if Westminster passed a law saying that Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland no longer existed and there was only Great Britain and all that goes with it. I agree that the commentary and reporting do at least show Scotland what the establishment think and it will annoy some people but that won’t change many votes but the article was interesting and I suppose reminds people where we stand in the so called UK.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It has been embarrassing watching the SNP leadership’s contrived attempts to politicise the Euros. In their quest to ingratiate themselves with the feel good factor covid is now rampant. Now we are out unexpectedly congratulating your rivals at every turn is the twitter policy. What strategist came up with that one? I don’t agree with the claim of the article that Scots pride rises with English success. It just cements the sense of despair at our lack of international football success and feeds the chip on our shoulder.
SNP politicians don’t register with the majority of English people down south as they say. I remember a recent vox Pop on the streets of London where no-one could name the leaders of any of the devolved governments. Most of them seemed to think that Scotland and Wales were mythical places. The closest guess was something to do with a fish.
As the article points out for many English, Britain and England are synonymous and it just doesn’t compute that the rest of the UK could be offended by commentary on a football game that ignores the game being played and instead focuses on another nation.
Now that type of ignorance of the rest of us raises our hackles. Like the Jimmy Hill toepoke or whether a player could cut it in the best league in the world. It might serve to solidify that sense of injustice over time but I don’t see it resulting in a sudden surge for independence.
If Sturgeon could pick the Scottish manager she’d reinstate Craig Levein. Another feart haddie who plays without a striker but nurses spite against the referees.
Step21
Yeah it won’t make any impact either way and things will stay the same in the Victorian UK.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Scots support for whoever England are playing has nothing to do with football or being anti-English and everything to do with jabbing fingers firmly into the eyes of the biased BBC commentators who are pro-England 24×7. For me it all started a long time ago with that w***er Jimmy Hill. Of course, as soon as the BBC expressed displeasure at this disrespectful behaviour by the uppity Scots it’s place as favourite pastime whenever England played was guaranteed.
Anyone who doubts this should ask why this does not carry over to rugby or any other sport.
Just put a few quid on England to win the thing so you won’t feel so sickened by the celebrations if they actually win it.