There is an old lawyer's courtroom joke that if your case is strong on the law then bang on about the law; if your case is strong on the facts then bang on about the facts; but if the case isn't strong on either the facts or the law then bang on the table. Labour's less amusing version, whenever it struggles to make a case, is always to cry 'RACISM'. Here is a report about the latest example - for once not directed at an Englishman! Needless to say when counterattacked Jim McGovern MP limply blustered that his comments merely represented 'the rough and tumble of everyday Scottish politics.' Labour must be getting really desperate!
Here is the story published in the Courier : 07.11.11 by David Clegg, the political editor:-
The SNP Government is to allow universities to charge fees of up to £9,000 a year for students coming to Scotland from the rest of the UK.
Both Dundee and Abertay universities are planning to charge fees to English, Welsh and Northern Irish students from next year.
Education Secretary Mike Russell insists the move is required to secure the financial future of the university sector and maintain free education for Scots. But Mr McGovern, MP for Dundee West, told the meeting he fears the policy is inspired by a Scottish nationalist ''hatred'' of England.
''I've got serious concerns about the Scottish Executive saying that we will not charge Scottish students to go to university, but we will charge English students,'' he said. ''You know, for me, that does not smack of patriotism — that smacks of racism.''
He later clarified that he was not branding individual SNP politicians racist, adding: ''What came to mind was that Charles de Gaulle once said that while patriotism is a love for one's own country, nationalism, generally, is hatred of other countries.
''And unfortunately, this is what the SNP confirm by their policies — that that's what they see.''
The remarks were condemned as ''disgraceful slurs'' by the SNP's Dundee City West MSP Joe FitzPatrick, who was also on the panel at the public meeting on Friday night.
''It is deeply, deeply disappointing that a senior Labour politician should resort to such disgraceful slurs,'' he said. ''The SNP's commitment to keep university education free for Scottish domiciled students was a key part of our manifesto which was overwhelmingly backed by the people of Scotland.
''To describe it as racist is insulting to every person in Dundee and across Scotland who gave their support to the SNP in May. Robust political debate is one thing but making unfounded claims of this magnitude is quite another.''
Mr FitzPatrick also called on Labour leader Ed Miliband to take action over Mr McGovern's remarks.
''This disgraceful slur raises further questions about the conduct of Labour MPs, coming so soon after his colleague (Glasgow South West MP) Ian Davidson called SNP MPs 'neo-fascists','' added Mr FitzPatrick.
Mr Russell also demanded that Mr McGovern withdraw the ''offensive'' comment.
''The Scottish Government would much rather not charge anyone fees. However, this has been forced upon us because of the actions of successive UK Governments,'' he told The Courier.
''Scottish students and their parents have long had the reassurance of knowing that undergraduate education in Scotland will remain free.
''To maintain opportunities for our students, and to protect our world-leading universities' reputation and competitiveness, we had no choice but to respond to the increase in tuition fees to £9,000 south of the border.''
He added that it is thought the average fee will only be £6,841, reduced to around £6,375 by packages of bursaries and fee waivers.
But Mr McGovern is standing by his remarks, insisting the SNP is an ''anti-England'' organisation.
He told The Courier on Sunday: ''The latest strategy by the separatists would seem to be to pick up on a word or expression from a Labour politician then throw their hands up in horror and say that they feel threatened, intimidated or offended.
''If some members of the SNP cannot live with the robust nature of the rough and tumble of everyday Scottish politics then perhaps they should consider whether or not they are in the right job.''
I wonder what Jesting Jim would say to someone that pointed out that, if so, it must have been racist for Labour to set up the discriminatory Student Top Up fees system in the first place?
The use of the racist tag is indeed a low trick and one that the Labour Party and their ilk are always ready to use.
ReplyDeleteSuch misuse of language is a key tactic employed by the adherents of political correctness, that most evil of ideologies.
Thank goodness our party takes a tough stance against this treasonous poison.
I spoke about this in a recent speech to Bridlington English Democrats which can be read here:
http://morleypatriot.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-bridlington-speech.html
If this is anything like the money international students must pay in CANADA, for university education, where this writer lives, the universities as above will welcome "foreign" students as the expense of Scottish students, since the universities need the money, and increasingly so!! under the circumstances., English and other students will have access on rock bottom academic qualifications, as long as they can cough up the lucre.....that's what happens here anyway.
ReplyDeleteOh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. If it wasn't so pathetic it would be funny to see the Scots getting a taste of the medicine they are so happy to dispense to the English. I have mentioned this in an earlier comment that the snp are tolerated as faux nationalists owing to their adherence to the EU social marxist agenda in all other regards. As the English are fair game, the prjudice and discrimination meted out is acceptable to Brussells. I say Brussells to emphasise that the British parliament is a mere charnal house to embellish the stipends of the traitors that reside there.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the Frankfurters commandments referred to as cultural terrorsm, rather than political correctnes. It is an acurrate and telling re naming. If one mentally substitutes cultural terrorism for political correctness it has a remarkable affect on the meaning of the message to which it is attached, and in my opinion should become common.
At first I must confess I was aghast at the accusation labelled against the SNP. However reading his comments in their entirety I would like to perform an exercise of role reversal. If English universities charged English students more favourably to that of other nationalities then what do expect the outcome or should I say outcry to be?
ReplyDeleteI have considerable respect, admiration & affection for Alex Salmond and his party and do not doubt their pro-Scottish rather than anti-English policies & aspirations however we must look at all arguments and points rationally and objectively. That does not detract however from the fact the words 'RACIST' & 'RACISM' are easy, convenient and vindictive insults used when things do not go certain ethnic-groups way. It is predominantly a cheap and nasty weapon to hide their own inadequacies rather than a sad indictment of a so-called bigoted society.
Have we not progressed intellectually and morally since the dark ages when the word 'WITCH' and 'WITCHCRAFT' were used in the same manner to denounce people we took a dislike to?
Though I uphold everyones right to freedom of expression does it not appear hypocritical of certain members of the political elite to wish to deny us that same right for fear it could incite hatred or public disorder and yet retain the privelege for themselves?
Personally I have no problem with Scotland putting the Scots first! It is what I have been exclaiming England should have been doing for her citizens long ago instead of treating us like 2nd class citizens in our own country. That way we may still have had our coal, steel, motoring (car/motorbike), manufacturing, farming, fishing etc industries instead of selling out to the EU and foreign competitors.
Finally just how does one trully define racism and what does being a racist entail?
Thought to ponder for us all!