Pulling Strings

Much attention in the referendum debate over the past months has been devoted to David Cameron's involvement, or rather, his suspicious non-involvement. David Cameron has gave off the impression of trying to be a crafty puppet master pulling the strings from Westminster, whilst sending lackeys to Scotland to do his dirty work. After famously proclaiming that he would fight for Scotland with "with every single fibre that I have", Cameron has been surprisingly uninvolved in the ground-level fight for Scotland.

Much of the controversy surrounding Cameron's involvement began when he refused a call to debate Alex Salmond live on national TV. His reasoning was that he does not want to get involved in a debate as it is a debate for the Scottish people alone. In fact, he has refused to have a debate again at the start of this year; surely with the last year to go, Cameron would be wanting to put all those unspent fibers into use?

It turns out that Cameron's view that it is a debate for people of Scotland alone is at odds with public sentiment. A majority of people both north and south of the border want to see a televised debate between Alex Salmond and David Cameron. The logical view that the majority of people in Scotland hold, and share with the rest of the UK, is that Scottish independence is not a battle just between factions in Scotland, or between Scotland and England, it is between Scottish people and Westminster.

Therefore, it would logically follow that the elected representatives of both Westminster and Holyrood should have a debate; as Cameron and Salmond are, as a matter of incontrovertible fact, opposite numbers. Predictably, Alistair Darling has waded into the issue to save what credibility Better Together still has by trying to say that he will meet Alex Salmond instead. What Darling is missing, however, is that Alex Salmond is not his opposite number in the debate. That would be Dennis Canavan, who chairs the Advisory Board of Yes Scotland.

Cameron could be let off the hook saying he does not want to debate Alex Salmond as it is a matter for the Scottish people alone, if he did indeed stay out of the debate. His involvement in the referendum however, is extensive, albeit covert. It seems every week there is an announcement of some UK minister Scotland didn't vote for coming up to Scotland to lecture us why our powers are better kept in the hands of those we do not elect. First it was George Osborne, now it's William Hague. Perhaps the most laughable example was the new Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael traveling to my university, the University of Stirling, to deliver a new year's speech outlining why Scotland is better off represented by him and his government. An event attended wholly by the middle-aged, middle-class.

It is obvious that the recent shower of UK ministers traveling to Scotland is a plan devised by David Cameron. Why would he risk taking flak from the Scottish public over his out of touch values, when he can just send his ministers? It is far more effective for Cameron to spread his unionist conservative ideals to the north by sending others to do so whilst he sits comfy in Westminster.

Cameron has recently been caught red-handed trying to pull strings behind the scenes internationally by writing a letter to the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, asking for Russia's support in the 2014 referendum. This letter highlights the full extent of Cameron's desperation and craftiness in trying to win the referendum, in trying to appeal to such a iniquitous leader such as Putin. Thankfully, Cameron has been scalded in his attempt trying to gain international support for a domestic matter.

Putin expectantly has replied saying that it is a domestic matter for the UK, and that everyone "has the right to self-determination". Whilst unionists are reveling in Putin saying that having a strong, single-state has "some advantages", you have to remember the context in which Putin is saying this. Putin's Russia rose out of a USSR, which was on the brink of collapse as many of its satellite nations broke away. Plus, Putin has unlawfully influenced elections in Russia to keep his presidency. It is in Putin's interest to keep a strong single-state, as any instability could seriously threaten his premiership.  Also, Russia throughout its history has always been close to armed conflict at any moment, so stability is in his interest.

Finally, perhaps the most comical recent addition to the top-down No campaign is the impending 'love-bombing' expected from high-profile English celebrities and business-people. The bizarre new tactic comes as a recent Ipsos Mori poll revealed that 47% of adults throughout the UK thought the UK would be weaker as a result of Scottish independence; compared to the 9% who think it would be stronger.

Basing such a strategy on figures like these is complete nonsense. Of course people south of the border are going to think the UK would be weaker upon Scottish independence. It has been Scotland's offshore revenues throughout the years that financed neo-liberal agendas which have destroyed Scottish industry and Union's, whilst propping up the ravenous baking sector. The No campaign with this strategy are, again, missing the point of independence. It is not about Scottish people versus English people, it is about transferring powers which affect Scotland, to Scotland. Trying to guilt-trip Scots into voting No by making them think they are abandoning the English is not only deceitful, but weak.

Therefore in conclusion it can be seen that David Cameron's involvement in the referendum is nothing short of a crafty puppet master. He is happy pulling strings behind the scenes at Westminster whilst offering no real involvement in the debate. He says he will fight to stop independence with 'every fibre' of his being, yet when an opportunity arises to do so, he declines saying its not his place to become involved. Sending UK ministers to do his dirty work, trying to influence international leaders behind the scenes, and trying to make it into a debate between Scotland and England will not work much longer for the No campaign. It is time David Cameron either admits he is too feart to get involved, or that he is deceitfully pulling strings behind the scenes in order to influence the debate.