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The Grouch - July 06

I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT that it was in bad taste, in genteel company, to bring up subjects such as religion, politics or sex. But, as old conventions are being blown away in our new and enlightened society, here goes! It’s to do with the state of the nation or, at least, the growing confusion surrounding these sceptred isles. We have revolt in Westminster about which MPs should vote in that house and about how much the Treasury should pay Scotland, and it seems that the English are getting their knickers in a twist more than usual.

But it is the continuing use of ‘GB’ (Great Britain) which troubles some! We know our history, of course, and realise that we are referring to the whole of the landmass and islands, just as we talk about “Greater London “. However, I always worry that the rest of the world will think us terribly boastful when we call ourselves “Great” when “Greater” would perhaps be better, or “British Isles” - or just, “Britain”. The topic comes to mind as we see that there is great unrest south of the border as the English begin to question just who they are. It was always they who thought of themselves as British, that England was Britain and they waved the flag at every opportunity. That flag, of course, was the Union flag, inaccurately referred to as the “Jack”.

We Scots, however, have always known who we were but puzzled at, and were sometimes offended by, the attitude of our southern brothers. Why did they continually use the Union Flag on occasions when it had nothing to do with we Scots, or the Welsh, the Irish in Ulster? It was understandable, because England was the larger partner in the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and the union of the parliaments of 1707. And so it continued until very recent times.

Some 15 years ago I wrote to the Editor of the Daily Telegraph, sending a copy to the secretary of the MCC, following a front page photograph of a jubilant English cricket team celebrating some international game - all wearing Union Flag coloured shirts! I had no response to my letter of course, because they probably had no idea what I was on about. How quickly times change! In less than a decade a Tory government sent the Stone of Scone back to Scotland in some sort of gesture of goodwill, and the New Labour government pushed through devolution with breathtaking haste. You must have noticed the change in the climate!

The English have discovered that they have a national flag. No longer do they fly the Union flag on all occasions, they have learned to be selective - or so I thought. Then, as the World Cup came to a conclusion and the St. George flags were furled and put away for this football year, they started to wave the Union flag again — at Wimbleden and guess who it was for? Yes, you’re right. A laddie fee Dunblane!

On the same topic, we have to wonder just how many of us today are closet bigots and blatant liars? The First Minister, bless him, was caught between a rock and a hard place when asked who he supported for the World Cup. He got bad headlines and a red face over that farce. Now, own up. How many of us swore we would never follow England or wish them well for the Cup? If we were disinterested, then why were the roads throughout this country so empty, and I mean very empty indeed, during the last couple of big games? Of course we had a vested interest in England doing well. Isn’t Alex Ferguson the longterm manager of Man United which produces so many of the members of the English Team? Isn’t Scotland the cradle of the “Magnificent Game” which now unites the world like no other sport? 

Just own up! You watched every game and suffered the anguish when the English Team just scrapped through and the relief when they produced the goods and moved on for a while, in the tournament. You got the buzz like everyone else and we were disappointed when they lost. Just admit it!

Alex Peak

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