A Brief Note on Scottish (British) Imperialism

How would you characterise this country? It has a banking sector with assets more than 12 times the size of GDP, is the base for a large nuclear weapons and defence industry, has a militaristic tradition (providing brutal troops for colonial invasions) and has had its leading politicians in charge of parties that supported the invasion of other countries. Is it progressive? Radical? Proud and independent, perhaps? Or an integral part of British imperialism and very likely to want to remain that way?

Scotland is the latter. The posturing by Scottish nationalists for the 'independence' referendum due in September 2014 is simply a negotiating tactic to try and get further benefits from the London plutocrats.

Their problem is that the money has run out and their bluff is being called. The Bank of England governor recently told them that they cannot have sterling (but they no longer want the euro). It is also likely that the arms companies will threaten to exit, while oil and gas companies will raise questions about how the Law of the Sea will impact their operations on either side of the indeterminate, prospective Scottish/English dividing line.


Tony Norfield, 6 February 2014