A Tangled Web

Fools on the Hill



Tomorrow, the Queen will venture to Edinburgh for the official opening of the Scottish Parliament. Seeing our Head of State participating in the opening of an institution which could have a long-term detrimental effect on her realm is disappointing to say the least. That said, the symbolism of Royalty presiding over the event underlines the integral Britishness of the Scottish nation, notwithstanding the advent of devolution.



For some, the presence of Her Majesty is simply too much to bear. A mile or so away on Calton Hill, assorted Lefties of Scottish public life will gather to thumb their pitiful noses at the continuation of the Union. Leading the fray will be resident Glaswegian bigmouth, Tommy Sheridan of the Scottish Socialist Party. When he and his unpleasant ilk are not disrupting the workings of our defence installations at Faslane, they are busily showing disrespect to our Head of State. Sheridan will be joined in his fruitless protestations by the likes of Irvine Welsh, Peter Mullan and Eddi Reader - people, ironically, who have made their fame and fortune on the back of popularity throughout the United Kingdom. The only thing that annoys me is the myopic nature of those who put the likes of Sheridan and his sidekick, Rosie Kane, into positions of well-remunerated power; free to preach communistic impoverishment to all but themselves.