This should be a bit of a dampener to recent speculation that Scotland was heading towards the Eurozone. Here we have a high-level policy statement from the SNP which is obviously grounded on the assumption of being outside Europe. The idea of a military alliance with Scandinavian countries outside or on the periphery of Europe looks, in particular, to be of Atlanticist inspiration. Of course, reasoned debate on Europe is hardly possible in the face of a sustained barrage of black propaganda being directed against it, but the SNP is doing nothing to counter it. Only with the fall of the pound on the international markets can we expect a reasonable debate on the issue to resume.
5th December, 2011
What do you think of when you hear the word Scandinavian? Is it liberalism? Or social democracy? Perhaps high standards of living? Or high tax rates? Maybe saunas and snow?
Whatever it is, could we become Scandinavians – and, if we could, would we want to?