[Photo update below] Given the way things are here, it was inevitable. Like JK Rowling before him, the Cybernats and IndyTrolls have lit upon musician and composer, Paul McCartney, dumping vitriolic abuse upon him for his ‘Let’s stay together’ plea to Scots in the Independence Referendum, now on the near horizon.
Tomorrow’s – 1st September 2014, edition of The Times has the story, publishing it online tonight first.
This latest attempt to stifle free speech comes after an unpleasant appearance by First Minister, Alex Salmond’ on Dermot Murnaghan’s show on Sky News this morning.
The First Minister was confronted with the challenge from Labour’s Jim Murphy to call off the ‘Yes’ campaign’s attack dogs. This request followed the forced suspension of Mr Mrphy’s 100 Towns in 100 Days tour, which has recently been increasingly targeted by organised pro-indy mobs, shouting Murphy out of audibility, determined to prevent the case for the Union being put.
Pro-union supporters in the audiences have been personally abused for their views- and, to their anxiety, have been filmed.
In response to the challenge, relayed by Dermot Murnaghan, Mr Salmond looked straight into the camera and – twice – advised listeners simply to ignore Mr Murphy and go on a about their business, leaving him unheard. The master of the bawlfest actually said: ‘If you hear Jim Murphy bawling on your street corner just walk on by and get your messages. Ignore him.’
This variation of the instruction to shut down free speech – from the top and heard by millions – hilariously came seconds after the First Minister had delivered an encomium to camera no one here would recognise as accurate.
Summoning an open-eyed glow of childlike wonder, Mr Salmond pronounced repeatedly that there are ‘wonderful things’ happening in Scotland just now – packed community halls all across the country full of bonhomie, exciting debate, warmth in shared excitement at the prospect of indy; and that ’99.9% of people’ are loving every moment of it.
All one can say is that this last 0.1% of the population adds up to a great number of people who are bruised, intimidated, sick and tired of it all and cannot wait for this brutish business to be over.
And if the campaign in Scotland today is an object lesson in open-minded and tolerant interest in all aspects of the debate, why did Mr Salmond not suggest to his infantry that they listen to Mr Murphy rather than shout him down or walk away and ignore him?
It appears that the First Minister himself curiously has only one objective in this – which is to see to it that the Union case goes unheard, one way or the other.
The First Minister wrapped up his gig on Murnaghan with a profoundly nasty little smear-by-association of the ‘No Thanks’ Campaign. Repeating his call to people to ignore Jim Murphy [whom he seems to be particularly anxious is muted] – and Nigel Farage if he dares to cross the border again – Mr Salmond extended his portfolio of those to be ignored by saying: ‘And if the Orange Order marches in support of the ‘No’ campaign in the days before the vote, ignore them too.’
This was a simply frightful trick.
Imagine the bellows of foul play there would have been if Mr Salmond’s counterpart, Alastair Darling for the ‘No Thanks’ campaign had – improbably – played a similar card: ‘And if his nationalist colleague Nick Griffin brings the BNP pack up here to support the ‘Yes’ campaign, pay them no attention. They’ll be gone soon.’
Paul McCartney lived a modest life in creative retreat in Kintyre for several years with his first wife, the photographer, Linda McCartney and their family. He credits the tranquillity of the place for saving him from a nervous breakdown. He formed his second successful band there, Wings, of which his wife was a member. When she died, Campbeltown commissioned a statue of her which was installed as a memorial to her in a still courtyard garden [below] at the lovely Burnet building in Shore Street. Their daughter, the leading fashion designer, Stella, chose to marry in Argyll.
McCartney has given Argyll and Scotland two songs known and sung the world over, branding this beautiful place in the minds of many who would otherwise never have heard of it: Mull of Kintyre and The Long and Winding Road – down the A83 to get there. Mull of Kintyre was also recorded with the Campbeltown Pipe Band.
He is qualified to say what he said, whether anyone follows his advice or not. He does not merit – as neither did JK Rowling – the bile instantly spewed up all over him by the stormtroopers.
