Brexit and Burns.

Some year ago, when working in Athens, I regularly took taxis to go observe lessons all over the city. I always struck up conversations with the drivers partly to alert them to the fact that I was not a tourist so as not to fall victim of excessive fares. I once observed to one that driving in the city must be stressful and dangerous. The driver agreed and ascribed this to 400 years of Turkish occupation. I responded that could have affected how they led their mules, but not how they drove their Mercedes Benz!

 And it struck me that one feature Greeks and Scots share is their tendency to lay blame on others: in their case the Turks, in our case the English or, if you’re from the North of England, them Southerners.

                                         

 Sadly the Brexit issue has rendered such divisions more pronounced, polarization has become a regular phenomenon, and it’s almost impossible to stop some emotions coming into play. Way back when I was living in Edinburgh, I invited in an SNP candidate to discuss their plans for decentralization, their vote ‘ticket’ at the time. I was genuinely interested to see what their plans were for Argyll, but horrified to discover he didn’t even know where that was. His geography improved, I showed him the door. It’s unfortunate to say that had a profound long-term effect on me and I had a healthy mistrust for the party. I was sure that SNP support was based on a romantic idealism, a nationalism which was not politically viable.

I was delighted when the September 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum resulted in 55.3% voting against. Then things changed mightily: the Brexit Referendum, of June 2016, was forced on us following a meagre 51.9 % result in favour of leaving the EU.

Now both these figures are flaunted by Brexiteers as the results of Democracy at work and, as such, inviolable. Yet, it has to be said that Scottish opinion has changed markedly since the post-Brexit decision: many now feel that leaving Britain is preferable to leaving the EU. Moreover, despite Brexiteers remonstrating this is not the case, what they cast was a ‘blind’ vote in that they were in the dark as to what the full repercussions of Brexit would be.       Two facts support my view:

 a) The then Prime Minister, David Cameron, did not think for a minute that the vote would be swayed in the Brexit direction, so voters had not been adequately primed.

b) Even now, since negotiations are still ongoing between Britain and the EU, the terms of the break with Europe, and consequently the implications of this political uncoupling, have still to be fully determined.

Here I try to keep informed on the internet through Gov.UK, and on various Facebook sites such as British in Greece, Brits in Greece, British in Europe, Gordon Ross’ In-D-Car, etc.. 

 I like to think I can see things from both sides and that, despite emotional pulls, I am capable of rational decision-making. Hearing The Flower of Scotland being sung can invariably bring tears to my eyes: either from a surge of nostalgia for my homeland, my roots – or because my heart bleeds to hear the refrain being sung by a drunken compatriot who really sees himself as that ‘flower’! :o

History is currently being written. As I write, in Westminster they are voting to continue on the Brexit route, while in Scotland they are voting to determine if they want a referendum or not. Nichola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Lady, will reveal her post-Brexit plans on Friday 31^st January. On that same day at midnight Brexit will come into effect, simultaneously triggering the Indyref2 mandate.

B. Johnson has a patchy history as manager in London as Mayor and has shown himself to be unethical politician; I do not believe he is fit to govern. He came to power by default. I would prefer our alignment to Europe, though I know this will be a long road to travel.

               

                        

 

 Brexiteers commit two logical errors on insisting that we uphold ‘democracy’ i.e. the results of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and the 2016 Brexit Referendum.

 In the case of the first scenario, they forget that democracy is not a static and when material changes are made, then it is only natural that we change our minds - as I have done. Then we must review our previously-held positions in the light of these changes.  As for the second case, we cannot blame democracy in the abstract for the result will be directly related to how educated and informed the electorate is.

         

 

 Johnson did not operate well strategically when he refused to devolve powers to facilitate a referendum in Scotland. For that’s another feature we Scots and Greeks have in common: telling us we can’t do something will simply strengthen our resolve and muster our not- inconsiderable strengths, abilities and resources to do that thing.

 I dearly hope Scotland can seize the opportunity to stand firmly on her own, to show the world what she’s capable of and to have confidence and take pride in who she is. 

At the same time we must remember Robert Burns wanted us to ‘brithers be for a’ that’.      So let’s not cause the country to be even more riven than it is.

Let the Bard have the last word as we look ahead to 2020.

                               

Celebrating Burns' Night

 January can often be a heavy month when memories of festive good cheer fade into frosty chill and getting up of a dark night-morning is a thought. So it’s really nice to have Robert Burns’ birthday to look forward to. His title, Caledonia’s Bard, was apparently first bestowed on him in 1787 at an Edinburgh meeting of the Grand Masonic Lodge. His response was,“ ..to continue to deserve it is my most exalted ambition.’ Certainly, in his short 37 years life-span he left behind an extraordinary body of work: love songs, traditional airs, poetry on themes of love and nature, with the odd ironic stab at hypocrisy too. 

 So, we could not let the day pass without a bit of fun and food. We invite friends, Eleni and Vasilis, and neighbours, Ann and Ioannis. With our thistle candle-sticks lighting our table, we begin the meal with me reciting the Selkirk Grace – well its Greek version – or as close as dammit! J  Our first course is spinach pancakes to warm up tums fresh in from the cold.

                         

The main course is the posher Greek equivalent of shepherd’s pie: moussaka. I love it but it takes a wee bit of nerve to serve it to Greek ladies well-versed in the culinary arts. During the meal Anna explains that we are actually celebrating his birthday in 1759, and she tells us that he has been voted as the Greatest Scot (2009 STV). I was most impressed that she had done some research so all further questions were fielded in her direction!

                           

          

 

The real traditional dish  is our dessert,  a ‘clootie dumpling’ – a steamed pudding bursting with dried fruit – in this case :  apricots, prunes, sultanas and cranberries.  We round off the evening with a selection of bought cheeses, all the rest being home-made: oatcakes, pear chutney and pomegranate liqueur.      

                            

Great craic, but time-to-go-home arrives which puts an end to our ‘boozin at the nappy‘!

 Now all day the Saltire has been fluttering on the flagstaff, but as we leave it’s a dark, still night, so Eleni mistakes our blue and white flag for the Greek one. Understandably, she thinks that strange and asks, ‘Why didn’t you raise the English flag?’ (Here in Greece English is often used as synonymous with British - but not in my front yard!!) I see a look of incredulity flash across Z’s face and then a hasty look to see how I’m reacting to that!

Honestly, you invite people to a Scottish celebration and they learn nothing?! :o