It’s impossible for me to explain how saddened I am by what I am about to say, but it is a simple reflection of reality. The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland is in its death throes and there is no route to recovery.
There it is, I have said it and it bloody hurts; I am an immensely proud Highland Scot, but have always been British first and foremost. I have given a large slice of my adult life to the service of my Queen and country and done so willingly, in the belief that we are a truly great nation that has made an amazing contribution to the modern world in which we are privileged to live. I know it’s not politically correct not to be seeking every opportunity to demonise our history, but on balance, every instance in which we have taken the wrong path has been recovered many times over. We have given the world so much and should celebrate these enormous contributions; no living person had an involvement in the horrors of slavery, so why do some point our way. There is surely no more tolerant country on earth today, clearly demonstrating our commitment to equality. Of course there will always be morons amongst us who are determined to create hatred, but that’s not a black versus white thing, it’s just a focus that is easy for such people to use in the demonstration of their small minded, bigoted views; let’s be clear, they are equally happy to focus on colour, race, sexuality or any other differentiator between us.
Weak national leadership at UK level has allowed the four countries to devolve beyond that necessary to deliver their independent roles, completely undermining the Union. This plays into the hands of radical nationalists, such as the SNP, who will inevitably gain the momentum they need to pursue a successful independence campaign, effectively ending the Union for ever. I personally don’t believe this increased devolution across the UK is anything more than the result of incompetence at the highest level, but the outcome is likely to haunt many of us forever.
As the sun goes down on the greatest Union the world has ever seen and which has delivered incalculable benefit to the world, I want to restate my total commitment to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, my Queen and the British people. Once fully devolved, our voice will be little more than a whimper by comparison to the respected position we have held for centuries. Please remember that we, the people, have allowed this to happen without even the slightest concern being shown.
My final point is to state my heartfelt pride in being British, which will never leave me, my gratitude for the life it has enabled me to live and my belief in everything British. What we have done across the centuries is nothing short of amazing and it has culminated in a people who care deeply about others, work tirelessly to help resolve confrontation globally and seek to provide for those that cannot support themselves. That’s not a bad resume is it; who will step up once we are have stepped away?
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