by The Grimm

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Part 2  The Scotland Act 1978

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"Am no working beside they Labour bastards Da, no fuckin way."

"They traitorous dicks, take the piss, every time we're oot leafleting for this Scottish Assembly, they'll fuck us over faither, ye said it yersel." I roared at an SNP constituency meeting.

"Ach a know son" my exasperated father said. "That bawheid of a cooncillor is the worst and we've no even seen that yin that calls himself an MP either. "Just go oot and dae yer best and ignore them." he added. As I raged out the door wi auld Tam Mcdonald.

"Cannae stand they Labour fuckers Tam" I wailed. "Aye son, I get that impression, yer Jimmy's boy, richt enough!" he smiled.  

Early 79 in a Labour run Scotland, the SNP are buoyant, there's a General Election coming soon and the Party are looking to make gains after a very successful "It's Our Oil" Campaign and the introduction of the Scotland Act 1978 which will give Scotland a chance of a Parliament in Edinburgh for the first time since 1707. Though ma Faither has called it a 'Puppet Parliament' wi Scots dancing on the strings being pulled by Westminster, I was looking forward to it and it gave me my first taste of an election campaign.

I was 16 and couldn't vote back then but I was determined that our side would win.

"Fur fucksake Da we won, ye telt me, whoever gets the maist votes wins! Whit the fuck? I scream, greetin real tears in frustration.

"I also telt ye they bastards would stitch us up, a non voter even if they were deid were treated as a no. We're no done yet", he said wi confidence, "the SNP group at Westminster have got a plan, it'll be fine son, you'll see."

My faither had given me a book called The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists which would cement my political outlook. He also handed me the Daily Record, with the bold strapline of Thatcher Takes Over No.10 I looked at it incredulously and said "Da, who the fuck is Maggie Thatcher?"

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