The grotesquely named Operation Epic Fury, the US and Israel’s war against Iran, rumbles on in the Middle East in what seems a confused mess. One second, you hear that the religiously fanatical Ayatollah Khamenei has been killed, and the next, that an attack on an Iranian primary school has killed 168 people, and could implicate the US military. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, having asked for NATO allies’ support in keeping open the Strait of Hormuz, now declares that “we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the Nato countries’ assistance … WE NEVER DID!” Adults in the room, and all that.
One point of rising consternation in the UK is the US military’s recent use of Prestwick Airport. The Ministry of Defence (which grants permission for allies to use UK air bases) have assured that US strikes are not being launched from Prestwick, but it seems that three planes stopped at Prestwick before making their way to Israel and engaging in military action. First Minister John Swinney is now “seeking a meeting” with the UK Cabinet to ascertain precisely what Prestwick is being used for, before making a decision on a ban on US military planes at the airport.
To my mind, “seeking a meeting” seems a fairly pathetic impression for Swinney to cast, making him out to be some underling tentatively approaching Westminster to inquire about what should obviously be his jurisdiction. Prestwick is owned by the Scottish government. Should the leader of the Scottish government have to ‘seek’ the necessary communication on what falls under his remit, or should it be a given?
But then again, the Scottish Parliament is often disregarded as some provincial governing body — a glorified council in the minds of some. Boris Johnson reportedly decries devolution as a “mistake,” and Keir Starmer refuses to grant a second independence referendum in the event of an SNP majority in the May election, dismissing it as “distraction politics” — even though it would constitute the will of Scottish voters. Because, to some, Holyrood is little more than a home for recalcitrant subordinates who ought to be brought to heel by Westminster.
This is despite the Scottish Parliament being a de facto national assembly on many issues. For one, ‘First Minister’ and ‘Prime Minister’ are all but interchangeable terms, and in recent years (particularly during the Coronavirus pandemic), the First Minister has become indispensable in Scottish political life. Even now, Keir Starmer seems to blame every issue in Scotland on the SNP: they must have some power.
But Swinney has to ‘seek’ a meeting with the Cabinet before he can make a decision. It’s helicopter parenting, plus patrician disregard.
Either you believe in devolution, or you don’t. The Scottish Parliament was supposed to let Scots decide on Scottish issues, without cutting them free from the UK entirely. But this strange amalgamation of both has left us with neither. The First Minister is sovereign, until they aren’t. Like I said: a glorified council.
“File:Glasgow Prestwick Airport, January 2017.jpg” by Billy McCrorie is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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The US Military’s Use of Prestwick Airport Reveals the Sidelining of the Scottish Parliament
The grotesquely named Operation Epic Fury, the US and Israel’s war against Iran, rumbles on in the Middle East in what seems a confused mess. One second, you hear that the religiously fanatical Ayatollah Khamenei has been killed, and the next, that an attack on an Iranian primary school has killed 168 people, and could implicate the US military. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, having asked for NATO allies’ support in keeping open the Strait of Hormuz, now declares that “we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the Nato countries’ assistance … WE NEVER DID!” Adults in the room, and all that.
One point of rising consternation in the UK is the US military’s recent use of Prestwick Airport. The Ministry of Defence (which grants permission for allies to use UK air bases) have assured that US strikes are not being launched from Prestwick, but it seems that three planes stopped at Prestwick before making their way to Israel and engaging in military action. First Minister John Swinney is now “seeking a meeting” with the UK Cabinet to ascertain precisely what Prestwick is being used for, before making a decision on a ban on US military planes at the airport.
To my mind, “seeking a meeting” seems a fairly pathetic impression for Swinney to cast, making him out to be some underling tentatively approaching Westminster to inquire about what should obviously be his jurisdiction. Prestwick is owned by the Scottish government. Should the leader of the Scottish government have to ‘seek’ the necessary communication on what falls under his remit, or should it be a given?
But then again, the Scottish Parliament is often disregarded as some provincial governing body — a glorified council in the minds of some. Boris Johnson reportedly decries devolution as a “mistake,” and Keir Starmer refuses to grant a second independence referendum in the event of an SNP majority in the May election, dismissing it as “distraction politics” — even though it would constitute the will of Scottish voters. Because, to some, Holyrood is little more than a home for recalcitrant subordinates who ought to be brought to heel by Westminster.
This is despite the Scottish Parliament being a de facto national assembly on many issues. For one, ‘First Minister’ and ‘Prime Minister’ are all but interchangeable terms, and in recent years (particularly during the Coronavirus pandemic), the First Minister has become indispensable in Scottish political life. Even now, Keir Starmer seems to blame every issue in Scotland on the SNP: they must have some power.
But Swinney has to ‘seek’ a meeting with the Cabinet before he can make a decision. It’s helicopter parenting, plus patrician disregard.
Either you believe in devolution, or you don’t. The Scottish Parliament was supposed to let Scots decide on Scottish issues, without cutting them free from the UK entirely. But this strange amalgamation of both has left us with neither. The First Minister is sovereign, until they aren’t. Like I said: a glorified council.
“File:Glasgow Prestwick Airport, January 2017.jpg” by Billy McCrorie is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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