Speaking at the YES campaign's meeting in the URC in Nairn on Friday night Dennis Canavan reminisced on a previous visit to Nairn, he said:
"I was walking in the morning along the beach and I came across this notice describing Nairn as "the Brighton of the North". What an insult! I've been to Brighton many a time to the Labour Party conference and I know, I've seen Brighton Beach and there's not a grain of sand on it at all. It's just a pebble beach, it's not a patch on this wonderful beach you have here in Nairn. I would describe it as the Caribbean of the North. Sometimes in Scotland we do undersell ourselves."
See Dennis Canavan's speech in full here on the Gurn Youtube pages. Also speaking on Friday night was Fergus Ewing. In June the Reverend Steven Manders will be hosting a second meeting in the URC for the Better Together campaigners.
"Caribbean of the North" is not necessarily a flattering sobriquet. I have visited the Caribbean many times on holiday and although the beaches and views can be wonderful, what is most striking is the poverty of many local people. Lots of who are unemployed and live in tin shacks with few services. Not something I would be particularly proud for Nairn to be compared with.
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ReplyDeleteIf you read Dennis’s words properly you will see he was comparing beaches, not lifestyles.
However you go on to dismiss the comparison due to the very visible poverty of the Caribbean. It’s true that outwardly those in poverty in Nairn do not live in tin shacks (although tin roofs are not long gone on some Nairn houses). Most of Nairn’s poor are tucked away in what is often inadequate accommodation, particularly if they are renting from the private sector.
We also have food banks in Nairn and jobs are far from plentiful
Our poor may not be as visible as those who’ve you spied whilst on your numerous Caribbean holidays, but unfortunately I can assure you they’re there.
Another reason to vote Yes in September so we can change!
Perhaps the first contributor was merely highlighting the fact that Nairn would not necessarily want to claim that it is the Caribbean of the North. For either its beaches or its lifestyle. Although for myself, as a NO voter, it would be fair to say that many of the poorest states in that region of the world are in fact also independent.
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