Scottish independence: Scots ‘wooed by royal baby’
Former Free Church Moderator Rev Dr Iain D Campbell also called on the Scottish Government to clarify the position of the Sovereign in an independent Scotland, following mixed signals from SNP ministers in recent days.
Father-of-three Dr Campbell, minister at Point Free Church on the Isle of Lewis, added that the recent birth of Prince George of Cambridge will “win hands down” against plans for independence unless a substantive debate takes place on the issues surrounding Scotland becoming a separate nation.
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Hide AdThe prominent Christian writer said: “We are not going to become a republic, so there will be no President of Scotland. We are to become a nation, and the present monarch will be what, exactly?
“In an independent Scotland, would Elizabeth be my queen? And the House of Windsor my royal family?
“I certainly hope so, because I cannot easily shake off the interest of a lifetime in a queen who has graced her throne, and whose family have been part of the psyche of our national life.
“Why else would the firstborn of William and Kate in a London hospital be of such interest to us in the northwest seaboard of Scotland?”
The former Free Church Moderator added: “The reality is that in the absence of high level debate and serious discussion, for many people the question becomes not one of principles and policies but one of cooing babies and media overkill.
“If it becomes a choice between Scottish Parliamentarians and royal offspring, the baby wins hands down.
“And in the popular mind, many young people in Scotland in September 2014 will opt for the continuation of the union, represented by the toddler in the palace, over an uncertain freedom, represented by overweight politicians.”
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