Saturday, March 22, 2008

Paxman on Scottish Independence: Not Bovvered

I must admit I take the old fashioned view that it's not really a good idea for current affairs presenters to involve themselves in political issues, but Jeremy Paxman usually gets a special dispensation. In today's Telegraph he is quoted with his views on the future of the Union, or lack of it.

"I think the view down here would be 'if our friends in Scotland decide they don't want the Union to continue any longer, well that is a judgment for them'. And if they really don't want to be sharing the same house with us, and want to move out, well that's a bit of a shame. It is like watching a marriage decay among friends. But if that's what they want, well let them do it. You really ought to snap out of this sense that everyone down here is worried about it. They are not."

Is he right? Do the English really not give a monkey's arse what the Scots decide to do? I'm not sure I would quite put it like that, personally, but in the end self determination is what must win through. If Scotland wishes to be independent, it is indeed up to the Scottish people. Funny how we English don't get a vote on whether we'd like to be independent of Scotland, though!

And before anyone starts, that is no more an anti-Scottish comment than a Scottish blogger suggesting it the other way around!