Tom Peterkin: National Identity
As 2008 draws to a close I thought it would be interesting to reflect on the opinions of a most colourful Scot, who sadly passed away in October this year aged 90.
Brigadier Frank Coutts was a policeman, soldier and an international rugby player who had a distinguished war serving in the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Readers may well question why his views are of any interest to a politics blog.
But an extract from his volume of reminiscences "The Golden Thread: Mair blethers from the Brig" published a couple of years ago shows that he had a very strong notion of his own national identity.
"I'm as Scots as they come," wrote the Brig. "Born just off the Great Western Road in Glasgow, the fourth son of a Church of Scotland minister, I went to school in Glasgow, served most of my life in Scottish Regiments, married a fellow Glaswegian who was born just round the corner from me, played rugby for Scotland and played the bagpipes to quite a high standard.
"But I am British (Scots), not the other way round."
What would Alex Salmond make of that? It would certainly make an interesting contribution to the SNP's National Conversation.
Brigadier Frank Coutts was a policeman, soldier and an international rugby player who had a distinguished war serving in the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Readers may well question why his views are of any interest to a politics blog.
But an extract from his volume of reminiscences "The Golden Thread: Mair blethers from the Brig" published a couple of years ago shows that he had a very strong notion of his own national identity.
"I'm as Scots as they come," wrote the Brig. "Born just off the Great Western Road in Glasgow, the fourth son of a Church of Scotland minister, I went to school in Glasgow, served most of my life in Scottish Regiments, married a fellow Glaswegian who was born just round the corner from me, played rugby for Scotland and played the bagpipes to quite a high standard.
"But I am British (Scots), not the other way round."
What would Alex Salmond make of that? It would certainly make an interesting contribution to the SNP's National Conversation.
Labels: Frank Coutts, national identity, Tom Peterkin
posted by Administrator at
15:16
5 Comments:
Can't see that Alex Salmond would have a massive problem with this guy's sense of identity. It's his and as such is valid.
It must be noted that it is an increasingly old-fashioned sense of identity. The ties that bound the UK like Empire and the War are becoming distant memories with no relevance to younger people.
I did think this was a politics blog and one mans view of identity hardly lends us a new prism through which to view Scottishness and the politics of today.
A fairly typical Union-Jock type attitude from an almost stereotypical establishment figure from a bygone era.
It would have been remarkable if he had expressed any other view contrary to the orthodoxy of his time.
"What would Alex Salmond make of that?"
Much the same as this person I imagine.
"There is no doubt in my mind that long before the end of this century the Parliament of Scotland will once more be opened with ancient pomp and ceremony and that in this new age the representatives of her people will make her a valued partner in the British Commonwealth and an ideal ground for experiments in human progress." - John MacCormick, founder of the SNP
Or this one from an article on the SNP's own website: "Back in the 1930s, the Express newspapers under Lord Beaverbrook were supportive of the early SNP, advocating a constitutional model then not unlike the modern Scotland that we aspire to now. A great deal has changed since then - not least the constitutional structures all around us. Back then, the British Empire covered a vast expanse of the globe. Now, we have a free association of independent nations, the Commonwealth, of which the Queen is head."
Or how about this quote: "I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist." - John Buchan.
Or maybe he the same thing he makes of the independent country that has this as one of their official flags, and the one that has this flag, or this flag.
Anyway, what was the point you were trying to make? I am genuinely interested so it would be interesting if you replied.
The brigadier's "British (Scots)" sense of identity is indeed less common than in days of empire. The dominant identities are now "Scottish and British" and "Scots (British)". But only about a quarter of people (not even as many as typically vote SNP) reject the British dimension entirely, which fact runs counter to Alex Salmond's claim that Britishness is "bust" in Scotland.
It's funny what some consider an "old sense of identity". Nationalism, whether it be as a Scot or as a Brit is an out of date concept. Are we Scottish, British, European or what? Quite frankly it doesn't matter. There's too much suffering and poverty out there to think otherwise.
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