A Scottish child stumbling to school in the dark. An English child strolling to class in daylight: How Berlin Time could spell the end of the United Kingdom

I’m a bit of a Tory, and I am a unionist, and the First Minister’s plan seems risky to me, but more and more, the sense in SNP’s arguments is harder to ignore.

christinecs:

“This unwelcome import from the Eurozone could be the straw that breaks Britain, and the rapture with which the Scottish National Party has greeted Government plans to consult on implementation proves it.

Already euphoric about the first opinion poll in years to put support for independence ahead of opposition to it, the SNP has seized on the proposed time shift like manna from heaven. Nationalist spokesmen blame ‘Tory time bandits’ for plans they claim will endanger the lives of Scottish children, cripple business and plunge Scotland into perpetual darkness.”

Oh, dearest Daily Mail. I’m so glad to see you being as well-measured and reasonable as usual. You know, it’s funny. You hate Scotland. You can’t stand it. And yet it is your biggest nightmare for us to part from your beloved ‘Broken Britain’. I’d have thought you’d be thrilled. You’ll no longer have to pay for us to be “wrapped in cotton wool”, as you put it. Except, that’s not really true, is it? All those things you complain about us having at England’s expense; free tuition, high health spending, isn’t that just because our Government chooses to focus its money on different things? 

Look, I’m not a fan of our First Minister’s independence plan either (although I like him in most other respects, excluding his face), but I’m not petty enough to assume that the outcome of this issue which is actually quite important hangs on whether or not we change the clock. After all, if it really does get too dark then I’m sure our wicked, nasty Socialist Government can just build some more street lamps with England’s money, aye?

(By the way, this is purely a gripe at the Daily Mail. Not at England. That matters. Although some of the comments are pretty damn depressing.)