Three years later, after the Conservatives were removed from office, a
limited Parliament returned to Edinburgh - but it is weak and needs more control
and responsibility if it is to make a major difference to life in Scotland.
The highly publicised return of the Stone was no more than a
publicity stunt by the incumbent Scottish Secretary, arch-Thatcherite Michael
Forsyth - yet Scotland's politicians, like clowns at the circus, danced around to
Mr Forsyth's tune. Oh dear.
How can we be certain that this Stone is
indeed the one stolen in 1297 ? We have been the victims of Westminster trickery
on so many occasions that one more would not be out of character !!
What
is certain is that this Stone is a symbol and touchstone of Scottish nationhood,
a very potent icon. What is also certain, is that in 1328, the Treaty of
Northampton was signed and Edward III promised the Stone's return to Scotland.
Since 1328, England has used every possible legal device to hold onto this
Scottish relic - has it really been given up without a fight ?
In 1951 a
group of patriotic Scottish students succeeded in a daring raid to recapture the
Stone and return it to Scotland. Although they were eventually caught, no
charges were brought. To prove 'theft' of the Stone would have entailed the
Crown proving ownership. This quite clearly would have caused severe
embarassment to the authorities.
Is the Stone now returned to Scotland
the real Stone ? Was Edward I originally 'sold a dummy', and did the patriots of
1951 return only a copy of the Stone ? We may never know, but one thing is sure,
the authorities can't be certain either !!
What is significant is that
the Stone is a symbol of Scottish nationhood, and as long as that symbol
remained at Westminster, it was a source of grievance.
Forgetting the
political scheming and publicity seeking of the desperate Michael Forsyth, we
must hope that as the symbols of nationhood start to return,
Scotland will reawaken and reassert her identity.
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