Ireland's Call

As Scotland prepares to face Ireland this Saturday in a Six Nations showdown at Murrayfield, it is a good time to reflect just how much better placed independent Ireland is compared to devolved Scotland, McConnell style.

OK for the moment their ( all Ireland) rugby team is a little better on paper, but in fact, on every important and objective comparison on the economic, cultural and political fronts, the Republic of Ireland ( pop 3.6m) knocks the spots off the Kingdom of Scotland (pop 4.9m). Higher growth rates, higher GDP per head, higher international profile, more tourists, more inward investment, more near everything indeed! "The best small country in the world", Jack? - We don't even make it past the Home Internationals qualifier.

But that was most certainly not the case in 1922 when Ireland won its (partial) independence. Then Ireland was most definitely the poor relation in terms of Celtic cousins.

So what has made the difference, accounted for this remarkable turnaround? Independence for sure, and Independence in Europe in particular. So answer that wee Wendy the wizard or any of the Labour front organisations you can fund with our money to tell us Scotland "couldnae hack it" independent. Ireland has - and could have done it even better if the Brits had left them alone earlier, or got out of the north when they should have rather than just now.

So enjoy the rugby - but look at the evidence. Answer Ireland's call. And not a bullet , a bomb or hunger strike will be necessary. Just a cross in a box, and a bit of bottle.

And a final thought: "Ulster is English" just would not have the same ring to it - even Ian Paisley would be embarrassed saying it. So Scotland's fight is Ireland's too - and thanks for proving to us that independence works! And if there were a referendum in the Republic of Ireland tomorrow, would a "re-join the Union" option get a single vote? ( unless Wendy was on holiday there at the time)

Come on Scotland - Murrayfield, Saturday - this May, Scotland - next year, the world!

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Comments

[Paul Carline]

Ireland's example isn't just about independence - though Ireland is another example of many (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, for example - four of the most prosperous countries in the world) of how successful small countries can be.

It's also about the fact that Ireland has a written constitution which grants ultimate sovereignty to the people of Ireland:

"All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people, whose right it is to designate the rulers of the State and, in final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy ..."

'In final appeal' means that all important questions of national policy have to be put to the people to decide in a referendum. That was how the Irish people were able to reject the Treaty of Nice in 2001.

The Irish constitution is a genuine constitution i.e. an agreement between the people on how they want their country to be organised politically. (That doesn't mean that it's perfect: the Irish, unlike the Swiss, the Estonians and many others, have no right of initiative).

The constitution says:

"We, the people of Ireland ... do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution."

If Scotland does succeed in throwing off the yoke of a disgustingly corrupt Westminster (and its Holyrood clone), and if it wants to be a genuine democracy rather than the 'elective dictatorship' we have at the moment, it will need to draft, debate and agree a constitution which the people of Scotland can also "give to themselves", in which THEY decide what form the political system should take and just how much power they are prepared to cede to their representatives.

Paul