Britannist

The europhile Blair Labour regime is to ignore the 300th anniversary of the UK this year.

The Tricententary of the Act of Union in which the Parliaments of Scotland and England were merged falls on 16.1.2007.

No celebrations have been planned by Blair/Brown who don't want the Anniversary of the UK to get tangled up with their desperate attempts to hold on to power on the Scottish Executive. Elections to the Scottish Parliament will take place in May. Labour don't want to be seen celebrating the UK in Scotland when they face the biggest challenge so far to their Scottish powerbase from the anti-UK Scottish National Party (SNP) which hopes to win minority control of the Scottish Parliament and Executive from Labour (by getting disgruntled Labour voters to switch to SNP candidates).

The Daily Telegraph said on 28.12.2006 "Historians consider the Act of Union one of the most important events in the nation's history, laying the foundations for imperial expansion a century later."

A £2 commemorative coin is being minted to mark 300 years of the UK and there will be an exhibition in the Lords. And that's all. This contrasts with £20 million being spent by Labour to mark the abolition of slavery.

The Scottish Parliament have planned a number of minor events to mark the UK's 300th Birthday - but nothing as lavish as the celebrations that were held in France to mark the anniversary of their revolution or the spectacle put on in the USA for the nation's 200th anniversary.

Eurosceptic Conservative MP Philip Hollobone told the Telegraph "Striking a coin is not enough. The Act of Union was the basis of the British Empire. There should be a meeting of both Houses of Parliament and of the Scottish Parliament addressed by The Queen in Westminster Hall to mark this properly. It is almost as if the (Labour) Government is embarrassed about our history."

Britannist adds: Labour's ruling 'elite' has a chip on its shoulder about British history. It is also frightened of being seen as pro-UK in Scotland with the SNP snapping at its heels. Labour promotes Britishness in England - but not in Scotland."