Amazing what you can find on these here interwebs. The above, as you can see are pamphlets produced by the Labour Party in Scotland from 1976 to the eve of the 1979 Devolution Referendum.
The flyers veer from a strong NO to Devolution, a graphic decapitation regarding Independence (or to use their pejorative term - Separation) to the 5 pence bargain telling us the whole Labour movement supported Devolution bill for a Scottish Assembly. Odd really given the role of Messrs Wilson, Cook and Cunningham and their role in thwarting the rights of limited Scottish self determination.
As we all know, 32.9% of the Scottish electorate turned out and voted. The YES vote edging it 51.6% to the NO camps 48.4% Thanks to the MP for Finsbury's amendment requiring 40% of the electorate turn out, a feat I've never heard of anywhere else in the history of the universal franchise. If I'm wrong please illuminate in the comments below...
So 36 years on, the most stringent anti-devolutionist's are now vehemently opposed to Independence. The language they use hasn't changed much. Independence supporters are still separatists who supposedly hate everyone born on the wrong side of the River Sark...
This is how the anti-devolutionist's played it in 1979.
Obviously their arguments haven't changed much, although the fear of the scarily titled 'Assembleymen' is delightfully reminiscent of a time when the ladies were expected to sport purple bracelets with pride and have their man's tea ready at whatever time he strolled in from the pub at...
Surprisingly the TGWU ( remember them proper Unions) were all for Devolution. Interesting map of proposed devolved matters. We were to be given full control of shop opening hours! No mention of industry, energy or Antarctica...
Unfortunately the treachery of the Labour party conspired to stop Devolution and delay the right to self determination by another 18 years, yes that's right treachery, a horrible word to use about someone, a collective or even a political party, but yes treachery, is all I can think of describe the career of the likes of Baron Foulkes. Imagine it describing political opponents as traitors, horrible eh? A few short months after the referendum and these Labour politicians attached themselves firmly to the public teat and haven't let go since...
Here's some err vintage footage culled from the interweb to illuminate MLords Foulkes and Forsyth''s take on Scotland and how her aspirations can be thwarted...Naturally any association between myself and former visitor to this blog, Montague Burton is err purely coincidental.
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