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Scottish Veterans minister arrives in Falklands for commemoration

Monday, June 11th 2012 - 03:09 UTC
Full article 11 comments

Scottish Veterans Minister Keith Brown is travelling to the Falkland Islands to take part in events to mark the 30th anniversary of their liberation. Read full article

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  • Boovis

    But, but, Scotland hates the English therefore are on Argentina's side bla bla bla. How many times have people posted that or similar on these boards and elsewhere? I really have no idea why so many Malvinistas think that Ireland and Scotland are their friends, and also continually forget about Wales or Northern Ireland. Their grip on British politics really is as shaky as a jelly with parkinson's.

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 05:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    Well said, sir.

    @1 Boovis.

    Yup those Malvinistas have a real knowledge of Scottish-English relations. I hear they have all seen Braveheart! ;0)

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 11:45 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Boovis

    Argentina: Frio, Dumb.

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anti-Fascist

    1 Boovis (#)

    The Scottish may not hate the English or vise versa.

    But Scottish nationalists generally do and English nationalists are just as bad. The same can be said of the Irish and Welsh.

    Mr Brown may be a war veteran but his party, the SNP, would like to oversee the breakup of the United Kingdom! Which, for the Falkland Islands, sadly can only have one outcome!
    Keith Brown shouldn't even have a ministerial position, as British war veterans are represented by the British government and the Veterans Agency of the MoD. But the SNP know that Scotland's ex-military have a strong voice and they want to co-opt it and to a large extent they have succeeded, thanks to a lot of lies and propaganda, which they’re good at!
    If the SNP achieve the breakup of the Union, a rump UK will not be able to hold on to the Falklands or Gibraltar, our position will be weakened substantially both militarily and diplomatically. Currently, it requires a substantial diplomatic and military effort to defend the Falklands. Scotland has about 10% of the UK population and a third of the land mass. Our position on the UN Security Council will be unsustainable. Our position on the G7, G8 no longer tenable. Our top table position on most international bodies replaced. The EU which already dominated British politics will take it over completely, as it has in Greece.
    It is incredible that politics in Britain have been allowed to get to this stage but this is the reality we are facing!
    Within 10 years of the Union between England and Scotland breaking up, a rump UK will almost certainly disintegrate and it may not do so amicably. We could well see a repeat of the Balkans, especially in Northern Ireland, indeed this could even happen in Scotland as the Unionists and Nationalists are diametrically opposed and a long drawn out referendum campaign is going to have both sides at each other’s throat!

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • anti-fascist2

    With the break up of the UK, the City of London will find its political power base destroyed from under it and its place as a World financial centre replaced by Frankfurt and Paris. England, Wales and Scotland will be forced into closer union with a Federal Europe run by France and Germany.

    This needs to be prevented. I suggest every red blooded Brit on here, starts campaigning for the Union now, rather than in two years’ time, when all will be too late!

    This is the current situation in Scotland; in 2011 44% of Scots voted SNP out of a 50% turnout, the SNP won the election on a very poor turnout which meant that only 22% of the overall electorate supported the SNP, even with the backing of the Murdock media Empire on their side. The SNP claiming that the British government does not represent Scotland is a joke! 36% of Scots voted for the parties that formed the coalition in 2010; while the SNP governed Scotland with 33% of the vote after the 2007 Scottish elections. Their claim that the United Kingdom government does not speak for Scots seems contradicting since the SNP governed Scotland with a lower vote share than the current coalition government. The fact is the Holyrood government does not represent Scotland!!! It's time for a reality check on the SNP's lies, disinformation, and propaganda and anti English and British rhetoric.

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 09:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anti-Fascist

    For those interested PLEASE - take an interest - this is a good place to start:

    Vote NO to Scottish independence and protect the union
    https://www.facebook.com/BritishUnity

    We need everyone, to start campaining for the Union, regardless of which part of the UK or overseas dependencies you live. It will affect us all. Forever!

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 09:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • War Monkey

    AF. Sorry but this isn't about the UK. Also, I am a unionist so I don't want to see the UK broken up either but I have to say that a lot of you argument is sensationalist and I don't think it furthers then unionist cause. Please try to balance your argument.

    This visit by Mr Brown is a positive thing. Not so long ago KFC and her cronies were trying to butter up to the SNP 'in support of Scotland's right to independence'. I paraphrase but this sends a quiet message to the current Argentine administration that things are not that simple. Even if the UK does break up which is no foregone conclusion, well.............?

    Look at it this way. Married couples can divorce but still find common ground. Scotland has invested as much in the Falkland Islands as the rest of the UK. They are not going to sell out the Falkland Islanders. Not even the 'evil' SNP.

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 10:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anti-Fascist

    7 War Monkey

    I don't think it's senationalist, it's the reality. If you disagree fine.

    Of course the SNP are not going to allow KFC to muscle in on their act, they will backfire badley for them and they know it.

    On the final paragraph, that's simply not reality. It's a bit like Eire becoming an independent dominion in 1921, whose government tacitly aggreed to the Anglo-Irish treaty just as long as the ink dried on the paper. The SNP's support base are fanatical nationalists, I deal with them in the No campaign on a regular basis, they are identical in their zeal as the average Argentine nationalist.

    The reality is independent nations have different defence policies. The SNP already have their's sketched out, something akin to New Zealands 3 battalions of UN Peace Keepers and Disaster releif specialists! The relaity is indepenent nations have different foreign policy objectives and the SNP have their's sketched out, it's called copy Norway and stay nutral. Many of the SNP's supporters had no love of the Falklands War and would have willingly seen the islands handed over, many of their supporters would fit into CFK government well. The politics are very similar.

    The end of the Union is the end of the 300 + political union of Great Britain, it will be the end of the UK and our overseas territorites within a few short years following that, the Commonwealth will follow, along with the monachy.

    If you think that a rump UK can hold itself together, never mind the Falklands you are on another planet!

    India is a vast nation, made up of multiple faiths, sects, nations and regions, they have no problems calling themselves Indian, indeed they're proud of it. We can not continue as a United Kingdom falling apart, which is what we are. A small nation divided amongst itself.

    I too am a Unionist but to defend the Union, you have to be prepared to shoot down the SNP dylusion, that some how the only thing that will change is Scotland will rule itself.

    Jun 11th, 2012 - 11:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pete Bog

    @1 Well said. The Argentines repeatedly refer to Britain as the English, and seem to think that the Scottish nation would automatically take Argentina's side if Independent, their research for this? Yes, Mel Gibson in Braveheart.
    They forget that many Scottish soldiers gave the Argentines a good kicking in 1982, and,come on, would a future independent Scottish nation really be stupid enough to sever the strong economic and cultural links it has with the Falkland Islands? And lose the many jobs its citizens are going to continue to get in the Falkland Islands ? It shows that Scotland is not ashamed about associating with the Falkland Islands, hence this visit.

    Again, Argentina, Scotland's not going to take your side, unless you count that moron Galloway. Tough Swordgrass and Diddle-Dee stems to you KFC.

    Jun 12th, 2012 - 08:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anti-Fascist

    9 Pete Bog

    “would a future independent Scottish nation really be stupid enough to sever the strong economic and cultural links it has with the Falkland Islands?”

    Moot point. Scotland is seking seperation not independence. Scotland is Britain, as much a part of Britain as England. If the political Union that binds the two is severed, Britain as a nation ceases to exist. We are talking about seperation, NOT independence. Although Alex Salmond and his SNP want to dictate the wording, the timescale, the age range and who can vote in the referendum - gerrymandering at its most extreme. I wish people would get angry at this Nazi, because he is destroying the country!

    As I've pointed out seperate nations have seperate foregin and defence policies. I suggest you do the reseach and fin out what they are before assuming what yu would like them to be.

    Defending the Falklands against an increasingly belligerent Argentine government, with regional and international backing requires a strong and robust diplomatic and military posture from Britain in order to fend off aggressive moves to economically isolate the islands both regionally and internationally. Argentina is building up its military and is gaining support around the world.

    If Britain is broken up, one of the first things to go will be our seat on the UN secutiry council and our special relationship with the United States. Within a very short space of time Argentine will have resolutions passed in the UN requiring negotiation on the islands soverignty. A weakened rump UK will not be able to defend the status quo. End of!

    It's time for people to stop living the dream of SEPERATRION and start living in the real world of what the break up of the United Kingdom will mean for everyone in the UK, everyone in the Falklands, everyone in Gibraltar, everyone in our overseas territories.

    Protect the Union and keep Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Atlantic Islands, G

    Jun 12th, 2012 - 01:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Clyde15

    The bulk of Scots who voted for the SNP did not vote for the breakup of the UK.
    We did it because we were sick to death of New Labour and their right wing policies. The Scots by and large would not vote for a Southern England party like the Conservatives - we remember Thatcher ! The lib.dems., they have now blown themselves into oblivion. The only choice left was the SNP.
    If I could make one point, all my life I have been hearing how England subsidises the “spongers” in Scotland. It died down when North Sea oil was found and now has resurfaced in the London orientated press.
    Anyway, this subject has nothing to do with the visit of Mr. Brown.
    He did serve in the Falklands conflict which is more than some of the other notaries attending the commemoration and I would suggest he has a strong right to be there

    Jun 13th, 2012 - 05:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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