MCCONNELL FOOTBALL BLUSTER IS IRRELEVANT

Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell has came in for a lot of criticism in the English media for his 'refusal to back England' and his choice of Trinidad & Tobago (England's group opponents) as his supposed favourite team.

His old pal (former FM) Henry 'a muddle not a fiddle' McLeish has also attacked him recently.


The real problem is not Jack McConnell's choice of team to support in the world cup, that's up to him and no-one is particularly interested, particularly when he simply steals the words of Alex Salmond.

The problem is politicians who put England's national interests before the political needs of their own nation.

The most absurd example is of course Gordon Brown who claims that his favourite goal was Gazza's against Scotland (!) but should we really be that surprised?

Gordon has never given any thought to Scotland for years, like Tony he has chosen the larger more powerful nation over the one of his birth. In the 1970's most Labour politicians were well aware that Scotland could become one of the most prosperous contries in Europe with independence but they sold us out so they could keep a chance of gaining power in England.

What have they done with that power? Nothing at all, they have merely aped Thatcherism and continued the Tory legacy. A pointless exercise. The problem I have with McConnell is that he can't see the potential this country has an independent nation.

He prefers English rule (as does Henry who is off the same ilk) and his irrelevant comments about football are designed to cover up that obvious fact. He supports England where it matters over their continued political rule over Scotland, and his attempts to appear more Scottish by making a point of supporting their opponents is highly transparent.

Most Scots probably prefer England to lose because of their jingoistic commentators and their assumption that everyone in the UK does support them anyway. McConnell knows this and this is the reason behind his mini 'rebellion'. He is entitled to support whoever he likes but he has obviously made a point of this thinking it would help him to appear more 'Scottish' before the next elections.

However, the day Jack puts Scotland's political interests first will be the day he deserves his title as First Minister, until then he remains an ineffective stooge of the UK Government.