That’s the question posed on this thread on the Our Kingdom blog.  The question has been raised in reference to a poster (below) which was being used as part of Matt O’Connor’s campaign to become London Mayor.

(click for larger image) 

I had written a lengthy post attacking this poster, but on reflection I realise my mistake.  It really isn’t worth the effort.

I would point out though that public spending per head in London is £9,781 whilst in Scotland it’s £9,631, and never mind the current budget of £9.3 billion being spent in London on the forthcoming 2012 olympics.  Where’s all that money coming from then?  There certainly isn’t being any equivilent spend being made in Scotland or any other part of the UK.  If you’re interested in how Scotland spends ‘your’ taxes read this: we iz in oor coontry spendzing  yourz taxez.

So you see the poster’s a load of mince.  Even the image says more about the narrow minded cliched pish people like Matt O’Connor and his supporters believe … it’s sad really.  At a time when Scottish Nationalism moves forward, it would seem that English Nationalism moves backwards, I can think of another party which wouldn’t be too discomfited were the image replaced by that of any other minority group.

It’s sad really.  So long as the Union stands England really does deserve a devolved parliament equivalent to that which we enjoy in Scotland, the current arrangement benefits no-one and provides idiots like O’Connor a platform to propagate fear and hate against whichever group of people they’re opposed to.  To be honest though I really don’t care, after-all I want to see the end of the Union and then maybe we can all get on with running our own affairs.

A final point though.  Can you imagine the uproar if a Scottish party ran a similar campaign?