Cause Advanced For Autonomy Of Scots

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 13

Cause Advanced For Autonomy Of Scots

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, May 10. The cause of Scottish Nationalists was much advanced by the wins of their candidates in town council elections this week. In Glasgow, where they gained 13 seats, they now hold the balance of power on Glasgow Corporation. Both the Labour and Conservative parties are now giving fresh attention to their Scottish policy. Neither obtained consolation from the success of the Scottish Nationalist Party. Labour was hit hardest—and lost more seats than the Conservatives—but the first large-scale entry of the Conservatives into Scottish municipal elections yielded no spectacular results, in spite of dissatisfaction with the Government. “The Times,” in an editorial, said that the significance of the Scottish Nationalists’ achievement was measured not only by their number of seats won, but by their capacity to attract all sections of Scottish opinion. On the present trend, said

“The Times," the real issue for Scotland at the General Election would be for or against some form of separatism. The present mood of much of Scotland suggested that her position in relation to the, rest of the United Kingdom would be “a decisive question” for some time to come.

A French writer, Marc Ullmann, assistant editor of “L’express” has said: “The Scots found it agreeable to share England’s destiny while this involved ruling the Empire together. This gave promotion for the sons of poor families, and a mission to people brought up on a sense of duty. But times have changed, and England’s modest economic performance today is not enough to convince all the Scots of the need to share her future.”

"The Times,” on this point, said that one factor behind the surge of Scottish nationalism was the decline in British power and prestige, which had “weakened the unifying force of patriotism.” If Britain is not united in a drive of economic expansion before 1970, the prospect of an independent Scotland —the rallying cry of the Scottish National Party—in the near future will be very real. (Earlier Report P. 22)