Lonely Tory MP hopes to flog Dead Horse

Tory MP hopes to drum up support for Union parade
IAN SWANSON SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR
SHADOW Scottish Secretary David Mundell today called for a historical pageant in the Royal Mile to mark the 300th anniversary of the Union of Scotland and England next year.
He insisted that despite devolution, most Scots would want to celebrate the Union of the two countries' parliaments in 1707.
And he said the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections should not be allowed to put a damper on a proper commemoration.
Mr Mundell, Scotland's only Tory MP, said the celebrations for the anniversary of the Union of the Crowns in 2003 had been a non-event. And he added: "I think the Union of the parliaments is something we should celebrate.
"We are very lucky because we have still got the old parliament and we have the setting of the Royal Mile, so there is great scope to turn it into a pageant."
He added that the procession from the old Parliament House down the Mile before the opening of the Holyrood building in 2004
had been "quite a success".
Mr Mundell said the anniversary should be marked in London as well, perhaps with a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament and an address from the Queen.
He acknowledged his call for a major celebration of the Union would antagonise some Scots. But he insisted: "It is a minority of people who want to live in an independent Scotland. I don't think we should concede to them.
"What concerns me is 2007 is an election year. That was used as an excuse in 2003 for not doing very much. I hope the same excuse doesn't prevail this time."
Edinburgh North and Leith Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz raised the issue in the Commons in October, arguing the Act of Union marked the foundation of Great Britain and no-one could deny its historical significance.
He was told by junior Scotland Office minister David Cairns that discussions were ongoing with the Scottish Executive and other departments, but it was too early to put forward definitive plans.
SNP leader Alex Salmond intervened to complain the Scotland Office had done nothing to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death of William Wallace.
And he said it would be strange to have "a subsidised booze-up" to celebrate 1707. He suggested the minister should "do what he does best - nothing at all".
The 2003 celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns included an event in Berwick-upon-Tweed, featuring hundreds of costumed musketeers and pikemen.
There was also a lavish £33,000 dinner hosted by the First Minister and visits by the Queen. But leading SNP MSP Alex Neil claimed the Queen had been among those eager to keep the 2003 celebrations low-key to avoid stirring up nationalist sentiment.
He said he expected more effort to mark the 1707 anniversary, but added: "The only celebration I would be interested in is if people voted for independence in 2007. The Union of Parliaments came about as a result of skullduggery and treachery by the 'parcel of rogues in the nation' and it will be the current-day parcel of rogues that want to celebrate the Union."
A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said the Union was an important event in the country's history and would be marked in an appropriate way, but discussions were still at an early stage.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=20032006