[Closed] Why did Better Together choose a Londoner to lead them?

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Of course. The English are to blame. It really is that simple.

Can't say it really matters which ever way the vote goes....

meh.

I assume that he will be living in Scotland on the requisite date, and therefore qualifies as Scottish for the purposes of this referendum and has a vote.
Is he not 'Scottish' enough for you?
What is your criteria?

Anyone would think we don't really want you to stay.

From Wikipedia. Sounds pretty Scottish in ancestry and life to me.

Alistair Darling was born in London[2] the son of a civil engineer, Thomas, and his wife, Anna MacLean. He is the great-nephew of Sir William Darling, a Conservative-Unionist Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South (1945–1957). He was educated in Kirkcaldy, and the independent Loretto School,[3] in Musselburgh, then attended the University of Aberdeen where he was awarded a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B). He became the President of Aberdeen University Students' Representative Council.

Before joining the Labour Party at the age of 23 in 1977, Darling was a supporter of the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International.[4] He became a solicitor in 1978, then changed course for the Scots bar and was admitted as an advocate in 1984. He was elected as a councillor to the Lothian Regional Council in 1982 where he supported large rates rises in defiance of Margaret Thatcher's rate-capping laws and even threatened not to set a rate at all.[4] He served on the council until he was elected to Parliament. He was also a board member for the Lothian and Borders Police and became a governor of Napier College in 1985 for two years.

Hmmm - Good point up there. I wonder if he does actually spend enough time in Scotland to qualify as a resident here, or whether he qualifies some other way. Given how much time he must spend in Westminster.

My criteria do not matter, I just thought it was funny that Better Together had chosen someone born in London to lead them.

Is he not Scottish enough wanmankylung? I don't know why I get drawn into a response on this.
They say you should not get drawn into an argument with an idiot. They will only drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.

Alistair Darling was born in London[2] the son of a civil engineer, Thomas, and his wife, Anna MacLean. He is the great-nephew of Sir William Darling, a Conservative-Unionist Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South (1945–1957). He was educated in Kirkcaldy, and the independent Loretto School,[3] in Musselburgh, then attended the University of Aberdeen where he was awarded a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B). He became the President of Aberdeen University Students' Representative Council.

Born in London,
Educated in Kirkcaldy - when did his family move to Scotland?
Went to Loretto school - not exactly a poor man's school. Now wonder he doesn't have a clue.

 

So lets make this clear. If his name was Scotty McScottish, winner of the Most Scottish Scotsman in the Vale of the Scots for ten years in a row and only wore a kilt and every five minutes stopped to either dance or toss some cabers and had "Take the High Road" on loop everywhere he went and had tattooes of the Saltire on each bum cheek he still wouldn't be Scottish enough for you because of where his mother gave birth?

😀

Pretty much. 😀

^ you have to remember that people are campaigning for a Yes vote because they have a vision of a fairer, more equitable society & not because of an envious small-minded parochialism.

^ you have to remember that people are campaigning for a Yes vote because they have a vision of a fairer, more equitable society & not because of an envious small-minded parochialism.

Some people are. Some others are just taking the piss. My point is this - Better Together could have got someone in whose Scottish credentials and background aligned more with the people they are wanting to vote their way.

Better Together could have got someone in whose Scottish credentials and background aligned more with the people they are wanting to vote their way.

What are you? Some sort of Scottish supremicist?
To try to align supporting the UK with the BNP and then say that the leader of better together is not really Scottish enough really is taking the p**s!

Who is your hero Nigel Farage?

Born in Malta, considers Hong Kong as 'home'.
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Born and raised in London.
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American draft dodger.
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imnotverygood - Member
^ you have to remember that people are campaigning for a Yes vote because they have a vision of a fairer, more equitable society & not because of an envious small-minded parochialism.

My point is

Dying on its arse I'm afraid. Bet you wish you hadn't posted. Cynic-al will reject your big hitter application if he sees this thread. 😯

^ you have to remember that people are campaigning for a Yes vote because they have a vision of a fairer, more equitable society & not because of an envious small-minded parochialism

Went to Loretto school - not exactly a poor man's school. Now wonder he doesn't have a clue.

You don't really know what point you're trying to make with this thread, do you ?

You thought it was going to be about where he was born but with the way the thread is going you now seem to think it's about which Scottish school he went to.

You just can't make up your mind, can you ?

Let me spell it out to you ernie_lynch - his background and upbringing give him absolutely no empathy whatsoever with the people whose vote he is trying to gain. My thread was spelling this out.

Gordon Brown or Charles Kennedy might have been better options. 😉

Right, so you can only understand Scottish people if you are born in Scotland? Keep digging....

No one has managed to explain how that us going to happen!

On the Great Day Of Freedom unicorns are going to descend from the clouds and start shitting rainbows.

They might also have some idea of what currency Scotland will have to use.

And none of it will be the fault of those dirty Tory English Bastids who are English and Tory.

his background and upbringing give him absolutely no empathy whatsoever with the people whose vote he is trying to gain.

I see, it's got nothing to do with where he was born then, it's his background and upbringing - which is Scottish, that bothers you.

So why mention that he was born in London then ?

Right, so you can only understand Scottish people if you are born in Scotland? Keep digging....

That's not what I said. Go on - quote me using a full sentence if you can find anywhere that I've said that.

So why mention that he was born in London then ?

Because I think it is funny.

wanmankylung - Member
Let me spell it out to you ernie_lynch - his background and upbringing give him absolutely no empathy whatsoever with the people whose vote he is trying to gain. My thread was spelling this out.
POSTED 2 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Erm nope!

ps Did anyone else initially mistake the better together 'no' posters for anti wind farm signs 😳

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Because I think it is funny.

I see.

Is this what they call "the Edinburgh Defence" ?

I really couldn't care less where he was born - what matters is what's right for the people who live in Scotland, whatever their background.

Who are "they"?

Swingometer points right. Then comes Salmond's last questionL
"So where were ya born ya bastard?!"
Swingometer swings left!

wanmankylung - Member
Who are "they"?

Would you like me to hand you a bigger spade?

bencooper - Member

I really couldn't care less where he was born

But isn't that because you were born in England ? You English always stick together. Isn't that right wanmankylung ?

But isn't that because you were born in England ?

Nope, born in Glasgow.

You English always stick together.

If there's one thing that really, really annoys me about living in a Scotland it's the occasional person who thinks I'm not Scottish enough for them.

Ben - there is a major difference between saying that someone is not Scottish enough and saying that someone's background is unlikely to lead to a reasonable degree of empathy with the people of Scotland.

there is a major difference between saying that someone is not Scottish enough and saying that someone's background is unlikely to lead to a reasonable degree of empathy with the people of Scotland

Yes. Obviously that is why the title of this thread is: 'Why did Better Together choose someone educated at the Loretto School.'

Some people are. Some others are just taking the piss. My point is this - Better Together could have got someone in whose Scottish credentials and background aligned more with the people they are wanting to vote their way.

I still want to know who OP was previously on here.

someone's background is unlikely to lead to a reasonable degree of empathy with the people of Scotland

So you're suggesting the existence of some sort of public school acquired autism.

Nope, born in Glasgow.

Sorry it's your missus that is English born. Thought it was you.

bencooper - Member
If there's one thing that really, really annoys me about living in a Scotland it's the occasional person who thinks I'm not Scottish enough for them.

Indeed. For the first few years of my life I completely considered myself Scottish. Fortunately I was eventually put right and informed that being born in Scotland, living my whole life here and knowing it was my home didn't make me Scottish, because my parents are English.

Since that day my national identity has become more complex and rests on being British as much as being Scottish. I still don't consider myself English though, despite what I was told.

Thankfully I've not had that sort of thing said to me for a long time now, but such events were quite a formative experience and still have an effect on my opinions about Scottish nationalism. Which is annoying because I'd like to be able to consider the debate more rationally than I probably can.

Love the anti-certain schools. Quality [s]reverse snobbery[/s]debate there.

At least Loretto must have better Highers Econ teachers than Linlithgow Academy. Darling understands how a balance sheet works.

Why did yS chose a man who has little empathy with the fairer sex?