May 2021 Elections in a dis-United Kingdom. Scottish Independence now more likely?

 

May 2021 Elections in UK have been curious and - in a strange way - a call for stability. The voters in London, Manchester, Liverpool, North-West England, Wales and Scotland have all voted to keep the people who are managing the pandemic, to "build back better" (as the Americans say). Journalists are calling these the "Thank You" elections. The SNP held Scotland, Labour held Wales, most elected mayors (London, Manchester, etc) were re-elected .... and when journalists like Andrew Marr (this Sunday morning) obsess about the likelihood of a second Scottish referendum on Independence, they join the SNP obsession. Yet that was NOT the main subject of this election. Andrew Marr succeeded in making the appalling Conservative Michael Gove sound quite reasonable.

                                         New Statesman photo of Scottish support for the EU

Brexit Gove (from Aberdeen) pointed out that the total number of votes cast across Scotland for parties NOT pushing a referendum (Conservative, Labour, Liberal) was larger than the number of votes cast for SNP and Greens who support a second referendum. Even though the Scottish National Party won a large mandate. 'First Past the Post' is not the best form of democracy.  Meanwhile Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's Chief Minister, has decreed that the EU flag will continue to fly in Scotland. Good decision!

Nicola Sturgeon is Britain's most impressive politician: but my admiration for her does not mean that I  agree with her on all decisions. Scotland's (and Britain's) experience with referendums was not happy. Referendums are so divisive, they are bad. Independence may or may not be a good idea for Scotland; but a referendum would be terrible!  Families were bitterly divided last time, friendships became strained, husbands and wives were unable to talk over breakfast because the binary Yes-No choice overwhelmed so many vast complications involved in the idea of separating the Union. "Yes...but" or "No, but..." discussions were eliminated.  And yet .... I would be Scottish and European .....

I would rather be dancing than voting. Maybe we shall dance before the end of May.... 

..... dancing out of doors, but I plan to wear the kilt.

 

St Andrews Day, Nov 30th: since we cannot dance, let us celebrate with this portrait of Bonny Prince Charlie, leader of the 1745 rebellion against England's imported German kings from Hanover. Prince Charles Edward Stuart is kissing the hand of Flora MacDonald .... the lady who helped the prince escape Over The Sea To Skye after his defeat by "Butcher Cumberland" (son of George II) at the Battle of Culloden on 15th April 1746. That was the end of the Stuart challenge. Bonny Prince Charlie lived the rest of his life in France, and is buried in the chapel of the Scottish College, beside the Sorbonne.
 

Two joyful portraits to raise your confined spirits

REP visiting RSCDS Edinburgh in 2019; and my son's portrait of me in 1980 when I looked fresher and young Edward was four years old at French pre-school. He might have been a Picasso, but he neglected his artistic talent - and even his Highland Dancing medals - to become a lawyer.

Scottish country and highland from #Janet McCrorie

Two more beautiful pictures from my favourite dance painter, sold to support #RSCDS. 

Stong Arms, Strong Scottish Women

Stories About Strong Scottish Women

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 160 in seconds."
I bought her a bathroom scale.
She hit me with her gift. One week later my face is still showing the bruises. 

(A friend told me this story. It was NOT my wife. My face is OK - thanks for asking) 

This painting by Janet McCrory is called STRONG ARM and I am grateful for permission to share it with you. Her cards are sold by and on behalf of the RSCDS and her paintings are for sale on her website. I am guessing, but it is probably about HIS arm and not hers. But you never know with a Scottish woman!

A train arriving in Scotland contained a party of three academic men. Looking out of the window, they saw a cow. The professor of ECONOMICS said: "Look, Scottish cows are brown." The professor of LOGIC said, "No: we can see there are cows in Scotland, of which at least one is brown." The professor of MATHEMATICS corrected them both: "My friends, we can say only that there is at least one cow in Scotland, and one side of it appears to be brown."

Thank goodness that I am an Historian and a happy SCOTTISH DANCER.

The best place for a holiday and for dancing: St Andrews, Scotland

St Andrews, Scotland is the best place to dance AND the best place for golf: a choice of nine courses to play in site, and dozens more in the towns all around.  Beyond the Royal and Ancient Golf Club on the right (the Home of Golf) is the sea and two miles of West Sands. Fabulous swimming, wonderful walking. but beware of stupid  English tourists. Here are some of their complaints:

1. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find 

that almost every restaurant served curry.  I don't like spicy food." 

2. "They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach.  It was 

very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax."  

3. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the 

taxi drivers as they were all Spanish." 

 The beauty of Scotland is most perfectly captured by the rainbow across Skye above, Scottish tartans, Scottish dancing, and my lovely dancing children below (20 years ago, I should add).

Still fit and healthy and still dancing, but I do need a haircut

Like my new hat, though :  it suits my new hair styling

My wife sat down next to me as I was zapping through the channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."
That’s when the fight started. One week later, I am still not able to talk properly.

January 25th people all over the world will celebrate the 260th birthday of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. They say that only Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus have more statues in their honour, making Burns Number Three (since all those statues of Lenin and Stalin were pulled down, I suppose). I shall dance for Burns at the New York RSCDS party this coming Thursday. And Jan 29th I plan to dance in Edinburgh where I shall certainly drink to Burns' memory somewhere along the Royal Mile. Burns was an important product of the Scottish Enlightenment, alongside luminaries like Adam Smith, David Hume, Adam Ferguson ....  and Burns' contribution to Scottish music and dance is also considerable. In my book I Dance Therefore I Am, there is a whole chapter about Burns and his rival as Scotland's most famous poet: William MacGonagall. It is hilarious!

Robert Burns Born: January 25, 1759, Alloway, Ayrshire

Died: July 21, 1796, Dumfries RIP.

Scotland is so beautiful: the perfect Skye sky!

Scotland is so beautiful.   Les beautés de l'Ecosse dépassent l'imagination.
Rainbow on Skye.           Arc-en-ciel sur l'Ile de Skye.
Thank you to my friend Pam Voss for this beautiful photo from Scotland.