INDEPENDNCE is back on the lips of many Catalans after the separatist parties increased their position of power in Sunday’s elections. For some parties, it was a Valentine’s Day massacre, Partido Popular and Ciudadanos need some soul searching to do, while the far right party VOX again defied all expectations and moved up to becoming the fourth most voted party.
That said, it looks like Madrid and Barcelona are going to have some serious talking to do a referendum - despite the turn out being extremely low by comparison to previous elections. So, while Madrid decides how to respond to a result it was hoping not to see, the hugely amusing Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges brought to light an interesting fact during a repeated interview with Jonathan Ross I watched over the weekend.
Over the past 70 years, Scotland has been just one of eight countries to have pushed for an independence referendum and then voted against it - just. Bridges explained that it was pointed out to him by an American during a tour of the United States - his question to Bridges was ‘how did that happen’”. How indeed? But at least Scotland was given its opportunity to officially go for it and it didn’t. Whether Scotland be allowed to have another stab remains to be seen, as far as Boris Johnson is concerned, no.
But, will Madrid take a punt, who knows? When push comes to shove, Catalonia could also vote no. Time to roll the dice.