It cannot said too often that one part of the UK – Scotland
– is moving AWAY from the model of "deliberative democracy" and is
PROUD OF THE FACT. Before the Union sunders as a result of one part
("deliberative England") not knowing what afflicts another part
("progressive Scotland" in which, as one Facebook commentator put it
two days ago after a post of mine "there will be a lamppost waiting for
you, sooner rather than later"), it is essential that those of us who
support the Union as a bastion in the world of the rule of law make ourselves
heard on the reality of the dangers facing us right now.
England may evolve towards a more caring, sharing democratic
model, but Scotland is evolving towards one in which there are far too many
people who are proud of their intolerance of what they see as "English
Tory" opinions, views and way of life. This is not a new development. It
has been in train ever since Mrs Thatcher expressed her own pride in the
apparent destruction of the socialist outlook on life which had taken hold in
Scotland in the early twentieth century, ousting the individualistic Liberalism
that was the country's main political centre since male democracy was
introduced by Disraeli and Gladstone. Now the people who lost under Thatcher
are claiming their negativity back. They are desperate to unleash on what they
see as Thatcherites the kind of revenge which the peasantry unleashed on the
Russian landholding class after the near-revolution of 1905. (i.e. plenty of
house and barn burning, but not too much murder - at least not yet; that had to
wait for 1917).
Many years ago, I started to write about this, and two
months ago my book was published. I have tried to describe how the
gerrymandering of the Scottish parliament by Donald Dewar has led to the
situation we are currently in (and also how he tried to take the judges under
political control, but was foiled in the House of lords). He wanted to create a
permanent Labour majority, but ended up creating a permanent anti-Union
one.
I urge the political class in Britain which advocates for
the tender care for democracy described in this well-meaning but to me limited
article (as it does not deal with the UK outside England) to make themselves
aware of the forces which are moving underfoot right at this moment (next
Scottish election is in May; just for moths away).
My book is called "The Justice Factory: Can the Rule of
Law Survive in 21st Century Scotland?" It is not a party-political screed.
It has been endorsed by both ends of the political spectrum here: Ian
("Stone of Destiny") Hamilton QC, the renegade nationalist, and Adam
Tomkins, who is both an MSP (Tory) and Professor of Constitutional Law in the
University of Glasgow.
The Foreword is written by Lord Hope of Craighead, ex-Deputy
President of the UK Supreme Court and Alan Page, Professor of Public Law at
Dundee, who is the author “Constitutional Law of Scotland”, the main reference
work, has written an Introduction to Part II.
This book ought to sit on the desks of all important
political commentators because it is an as yet untold story, but a very, very
important one if the British state is to survive with the ideals it has
embraced about civic government roughly since the Act of Union, of which the
main one is the rule of law. Now is the time for all good folk to come to the
aid of the country and of course democracy.
Details of the book here (paperback or Kindle)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1981993401?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
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