Check out Melé's mixtape!

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Saw this guy at The Nest in East London a couple of weeks ago. He was absolutely banginnnnnn. Also features the Bok-Bok remix of “Dance (A$$)” by Big Sean which seems to be getting played a lot at the moment but is absolutely impossible to find.

Alex Salmond- a red herring?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:48:00 +0000

The idea of Scottish independence is becoming increasingly significant with the referendum set to take place in 2014. My concern over the union debate is both inflamed and hindered by my Scottish roots. Those who participate in the controversial discussion in other parts of the UK may be prone to believe that Scottish voters are of a Braveheart-like disposition, English-hating and embarrassingly patriotic, and I think this is a misconception which desperately needs to be addressed.

Alex Salmond is one of my least favourite politicians. This is a bold statement considering the current state of UK politics. However, my issues with him stem from the fact that as a Scottish citizen, it’s plain to see that much of his support stems from a careful technique of exploiting both Scottish patriotism and many Scots’ ignorance of the logistics of Scotland’s financial status.

Salmond’s pitch preys on those who have never been educated in concepts such as the Barnet formula (the UK’s formula concerning distribution of wealth) and he exaggerates Scotland’s unique identity and prosperity to create one (almost) cohesive argument for Scottish independence, successfully convincing many Scots that the answer to all of our financial problems is, of course, the utopia of oil that Scotland will then be entitled to.

As unconvincing and scarily shakily presented as this argument is, I don’t feel this is actually the biggest issue.

Scotland is certainly an intensely patriotic nation, whilst England does appear at times to be lacking an identity, but I think that Scotland’s detachment from the union would actually have a negative effect on sustaining Scotland’s character.

Many of the ideologies Scottish people are patriotic about are ideas which are grounded and dependent on their place in the union. For example, Alex Salmond has made comparisons between Norway and a future independent Scotland. Norwegians are among the highest taxpayers in the world. Alongside this, Scotland remains to be one of the most impoverished parts of Britain and one of the unhealthiest areas of Europe, making both the economic and social needs of Scotland greater than and very different to that of Norway. Typically, in conjunction with this, Scottish voters demand socialist ideology, such as council tax freeze and state-funded education. It is difficult to see how Scotland could retain such socialist ideology by operating independently when their needs as a country and their demands are so desperately in need of a larger source of money than that which Scotland currently raises in taxes.

It is all the more surprising that this pseudo-economics based on the UK’s rapidly depleting oil resources is endorsed by Salmond, an economics graduate.

But aside from Salmond’s economic policy, in the SNP manifesto it boldly states, “We will continue to drive down crime by keeping the 1000 extra police in our communities and by taking more money from criminals to give back to the communities they have damaged.” This phrase alone demonstrates Salmond’s serious lack of social and demographic understanding of Scotland. It is not an unknown fact that crime is more prevalent amongst the lower social classes (typically, those who will almost certainly not have money to give back to the community).

Despite all this, I think it is genuinely true that Salmond seeks what he believes to be the best for Scotland, and it cannot be forgotten that there is a large movement in Scotland that is in favour of independence. However, I think it needs to be questioned just how justified these beliefs are, what these beliefs are based on, and whether or not other options, such as a devolution maximisation, would combat some desires for more Scottish independence whilst not breaking off entirely from the union. It must also be considered whether the SNP’s left-wing policy can realistically be delivered in a situation of Scottish independence as Salmond has made several loaded promises such as a council tax freeze and a more creative and healthier Scotland. A majority of Scots still wish to be in the union, with only 29% of Scots stating their desires for independence in a poll by Ipsos Mori for British Future, so what must be demanded is some proper explanation and a convincing plan of action if the Scottish referendum is to be seriously considered at all. Voters need some in depth and rigorous discussions about areas such as crime, economic policy, health and education, not just a manifesto based on patriotism and national pride.

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Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:39:28 +0000

Music & Politics

Check out Melé's mixtape!

Alex Salmond- a red herring?

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