ANNIE Lennox, one of the most successful musicians in the world, has always refused to be drawn into the debate over independence in her native Scotland. Yesterday, however, in a massive boost for the SNP, she became the most high-profile convert to the cause for nearly 40 years.
For anyone under the age of 35 or so, Ms Lennox was apparently quite "Big" back in the 80s. And actually, if you read the article, it’s a bit more conditional than that, there are a few “if”s and “wouldn’t it be wonderful”s...but it looks like Anne also is unfortunately suffering from Connery Syndrome:
She told The Scotsman she did not plan on returning to Scotland to live but insisted Scotland was always with her.
Although in her defence, at least her patriotism isn’t dependent on income tax differentials.
12 comments:
Who is Annie Lennox?!?!? You have obviously never lived in Scotland. I can assure you most people under 35 know who she is.
You can pretend it isn’t but this is quite a move, and unionists are incredibly scared because it is no longer faux pas for all but the bravest of public figures to express positive sentiments on independence. She is one of many recent converts and certainly won’t be the last.
Can Scotland really afford independence? Can they afford to fund their own Health Service, public services, embassies and the rest?
They're much better off embracing the United Kingdom and the Crown.
Tim
Ah Annie, her uncle Charles was my assistant headmaster. Her family tradition was strongly Labour. Charlie was an EIS strongman, her joiner (I believe) Dad was extremely active in the Trade Union movement and her uncle Bob was Lord Provost of Aberdeen.
Concerning Annie's apparent conversion to what looks like the Scottish Green Party (as endorsed in the elections by the guy in wheelchair in the Book Group and the guy who plays the red hed detective in Taggart) adds a bit more glamour to Robin Harper's mob.
However O'Neil you can take comfort from a quote a few years back she gave. When her mother died (who was spending half her time with Annie in London and the other half at the family home in Ellon - Dad Lennox collapsed and died in his joiners yard in the mid-eighties) she sold the family home.
The press ran a story that Annie was "finally cutting her ties" with Scotland as she said she visited Scotland very little (this may now have changed) and that she did not feel compelled to have a property in Scotland. She said "SHE FELT COMFORTABLE IN A LARGER UNION"
Tim Belmont, smaller countries ranging from the Scandanavian states to New Zealand (which has to patrol large chunks of the Pacific) - remember New Zealand is a country the geographic size of the UK and the population of Scotland.
In 2006 Australia proposed movement towards union (which New Zealand rejected at the beginning of the 20th century when Australia was being formed from NSW, WA etc). Helen Clark told them to go to hell (although maybe the currency union thing might be negotiable!)
Anonymous
Who is Annie Lennox?!?!?
My comment was partly tongue in cheek...but surely you'll admit that her time at the cutting edge of popular culture has been and gone more than a few months ago?
And to be fair to her, I think Aberdonian's comment about the conversion to the Scottish Green party as opposed to the SNP is closer to the mark...couple of random quotes from the article:
Lennox, who has sold 80 million records worldwide and won an Academy Award for her songwriting, said she wanted to see a modern, forward-thinking and environmentally friendly Scotland.
"In that way, if Scotland was to be independent, and it had that kind of vision, I would back it completely," she said.
“All the issues that contemporary society has today, Scotland could be a beautiful example of a way forward, if it was open and not too reactionary – just to say 'no we are not going to have genetically-modified crops, we are not going to have that' – I could see that as a blueprint for something."
I think The Scotsman has gone a bit OTT with "Annie backs the SNP" headlines here; her first priority is clearly the green issues and if she feels her targets in that area can be better achieved through independence then she'll go for it.
A slightly different perspective from that of Sean Connery's.
>>Can Scotland really afford independence?<<
Aye Tim we can. So much so we are currently subsidising your nation. And not for the first time I might add.
>>Can they afford to fund their own Health Service, public services, embassies and the rest?<<
One just can't sleep for wondering how the Norwegians, Irish and even the newly resurgent Baltic countries manage to do all of this.
>>They're much better off embracing the United Kingdom and the Crown.<<
No thanks, unless it's Miss UK and all she is wearing is her crown.
>>Can Scotland really afford independence?<<
"Aye Tim we can. So much so we are currently subsidising your nation. And not for the first time I might add."
Of course they can.
But the comment about Scotland subsidising the rest of the Union is risible, pure and simple.
But returning to Tim's comment, what do the English get out of a Union that penalises them politically, penalises them financially, and by tainting them with Imperialism penalises their foreign policies?
An Independent England could look after its own interests free of the Norman-British Imperialist yoke. It would mean an invigorating renewal of an England freed from the constraints of the British straitjacket.
This wouldn't mean the imposition of borders - after all, there's no border, just open crossings between the Republic of Ireland and the UK, so there's every reason to think something similar could be made.
No doubt we English would still face a certain amount of resentment just as Sweden does (to a lesser extent) within Scandinavia.
But at least we wouldn't have to put up with the surly resentment AND the hands in our pockets AND the interference in our governance.
Wildgoose
Are you not aware that Scotland funded Thatcherism? That the Falklands was not the only thing that saved Thatcher from defeat at the polls. We subsidised the UK through part of the seventies and most of the eighties. Now with the rising price of energy. The figure is something like 4 billion and rising above what we already contribute, which again is more than our fair share.
You must be the only one who has not heard that the big lie about England subsidising Scotland has been exposed. Deal with it!
>>No doubt we English would still face a certain amount of resentment<<
C'mon relations between Scotland and England would be more than friendly. In terms of resentment, Scotland would be way back in the queue.
I was rather cheerful to hear the frontman from Belle and Sebastian say at a concert that 'Scottish nationalism is shit'.
There, trumped!
"Belle and Sebastian"
Who?
"Trumped!"
Lol, hardly.
btw June 28, 2008 5:51 PM, that was me. Don't know why it's anonymous.
Even the late Alan Clark said that the Falklands (and dole payments to those chucked on the scrapheap) was paid for by North Sea revenues which mostly (but not all) comes from Scottish waters.
He covered this in his programme in the 90's in his programme "What happened to the Tories?"
In Scotland that is a good question.
He covered this in his programme in the 90's in his programme "What happened to the Tories?"
In Scotland that is a good question.
The answer is their politicians and councillors have opted for the quiet life, burying their core principles, whilst at the same time pocketing the MSA expenses and salaries.
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