An Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman walk into a hotel bar. The barman tells them regrettably that it’s the last night, as the building will be housing asylum-seekers. ‘That’s typical – putting immigrants first!’, mutters the Englishman. The Irishman gets on the phone to his mates to do something about it. The Scotsman asserts that refugees are welcome, and that his countryfolk are more progressively-minded than the nasty English.
There’s always some truth in stereotypes. Middle-England critics of mass immigration are often disparaged by commentators north of the border for their backward bigotry, but this is very cheeky, given that their land remains (as its recent first minister Humza Yousaf infamously noted) largely white. But now Scotland too is changing. Walk through the city centre of Glasgow and you will see almost as many people of other ethnicities as of white Glaswegians.
In the area of my upbringing, Greenock (25 miles down the River Clyde from Glasgow), the populace has not changed much. But the signs are there. On a recent visit I saw at Gourock Station a sign proclaiming ‘schools against racism’. The Greenock Telegraph (9 September 2024) reported on an event attended by Provost Drew McKenzie celebrating Islamic culture in the town. Organiser Mohammed Ahmad enthused on Muslims being accepted as a strong community: –
‘Scotland proudly welcomes people from all backgrounds, embodying the spirit of freedom and inclusivity… The Muslim population has grown considerably, and educational achievements are impressive, yet disparities in employment and socio-economic status persist. Nevertheless, Scotland is frequently regarded as a more hospitable environment for Muslims compared to other regions in the UK.’
The slowly but surely rising tide of Afghans and Pakistanis settling in Inverclyde is observable in the changing face of taxi drivers and deliverymen. The care sector is probably changing too, and not for the better. When my father was in a care home, I was impressed by the compassionate staff, entirely of local origin.
Ahmad concluded that the ‘vision of inclusivity and mutual understanding is central to building a stronger, more harmonious society for all Scots regardless of background or faith.’
There you have the ‘diversity is strength’ mantra that I eviscerated in a recent TCW article. But few dare to challenge it. Today’s Greenock Telegraph (4 November 2024) reports the conviction of a Muslim shopkeeper for plying a 13-year-old girl with vapes for sex. This is another Rotherham or Rochdale in waiting, while the people are told to celebrate diversity or else….
At the Caledonian-Macbrayne ferry terminal, among a selection of leaflets for various local attractions. I found one for a Jewish museum in Glasgow. Predictably the leaflet referred to the Holocaust, but it also asserted the value of immigration. I guess that this museum will be a beneficiary of the government’s increased budget for teaching about anti-Semitism and the perils of nationalism. Muslims, despite their enduring hostility to Jews, are embraced by the ideology of multiculturalism (despite the fallacy of tolerance in Islam).
There is always much to learn about different cultures, and sensitivities about the language used. In my youth, local folk referred to a Chinese takeaway as a ‘Chinky’, with no offence intended. Across the river on Dunoon beach a painted rock shaped like a bird’s head was titled ‘Jim Crow’ (the name now erased). The only black boy in my school was often asked how many Scottish winters it would take to make him white.
Former first minister and Westminster SNP leader Alex Salmond was always courting migrants. In the 2014 referendum campaign be surrounded himself with smiling Danes, Poles and Indians holding placards for ‘Yes’ in their own lingo. Salmond saw demographic change as evidence of a ‘modern, progressive Scotland’. Hard to imagine the 1950s, when the electoral map showed the Scots (outside the industrial belt) as true blue Conservatives.
The Scots are encouraged to believe that they are better than the English, and this attitude was exploited during the purported pandemic. We Scots care about each other, was the theme of Nicola Sturgeon’s messaging. And conforming citizens are led to think of immigrants as people in need of warmth and generosity, whoever they are.
It will be for the Scots to learn that their Enlightenment is a past glory, and that the future for their children and grandchildren is no better than for other indigenous Britons.
