Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1950. NATIONALIST DEMAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 120, 6 March 1950, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1950. NATIONALIST DEMAND

At least one' Scottish home rule candidate figured in the recent election in Britain, but gained very little support. It is a fact, however, that the movement is gaining ground in Scotland., In some quarters it was regarded merely as a spark, which would quickly die without causing any conflagration, but such has not been the case. The position is that half a million Scots have already signed a covenant demanding a separate parliament, and if such a total has already been secured, then it should not be longbefore a good many more signatures are forthcoming. At the moment the petition is being confined to Scotland, but once full support has been gained, it is probable that an effort will be made outside the home boundaries. The covenant movement is attracting support because it appeals to two important elements in the Scottish character—-hard-headedness and a slowlyroused but nevertheless deep emotionalism. The demand is not for a complete breakaway from England, but for a separate Parliament within the framework of the United Kingdom. Behind the movement are solid, sober citizens whom Scots can respect — economists, church leaders, and men prominent in local government. The crusade began at the end of October. A meeting was convened by a non-party organisation of liberal extraction. The 600 delegates from local authorities, political parties, trades unions and churches styled themselves the Scottish National Assembly. As a gathering is was fairly representative of Scottish organised opinion outside Britain’s two main political parties. Labour and Conservative. Since the first meeting many others have been held, and all have attracted large crowds. Behind this surge of nationalism is a belief, held by many Scots, that the country’s affairs and problems are being neglected by “remote control’’ from London. They point, for instance, to great deserted stretches of the Highlands which could toe, developed agriculturally at a time when Britain is crying out for food. A Scottish parliament, they claim, would solve suclh problems as maldistribution of population, make use of 9,000,000 idle acres, and start an aviation industry. The great fear of many Scots is that as the central machine of government in London becomes greater and more powerful, Scottish interests and distinctive Scottish needs will become more and more obscured by the over-all plan. The union of Scotland and England in 1606, they state, was never meant to be a complete amalgamation. The average Englishman is unaware of what is happening, but the time may not be far distant when he will be obliged to take notice? of the movement, which unquestionably has a firm hold in the imagination of Scots.