Culture Minister Nelson McCausland committed a little marked U-turn on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme this lunchtime, shirking responsibility for the unused Ulster-Scots helpline on to the UK Government for the grievous offence of signing the European Charter for Lesser-used Languages.
Under the Charter, he explained, he was obliged to provide the helpline even though it was a waste of money. Assuming that is true (I find it dubious), it is a good point which should be raised with the Secretary of State.
However, this is a dramatic turnaround from the Minister himself. Indeed, not only was he, in a past life, all for the UK Government signing the Charter, but he was for it being signed separately for “Scots” and “Ulster-Scots”, and expressed sympathy for those who wished the status of Ulster Scots to be raised further. Perhaps he could now confirm that it is his view the UK Government should not have signed the Charter and should withdraw from it?
It’s just possible, of course, that the Minister has no real interest in Ulster Scots at all and was just using it all along to “get at Irish”…
(While we’re on Ulster-Scots matters, can someone tell the Sky News correspondent that the name of the large city in Texas is “Houston”, pronounced “hyoostun” – with the y-glide. Leaving aside the fact that British pronunciation would always require a y-glide there, in this case the American pronunciation has it too – so leaving it out and trying to sound cool and American just sounds stupid and inaccurate! It is named for Sam Houston [Hyoostun], whose ancestors emigrated initially to Virginia from near Larne in the mid-18th century.)
Ian,
Even more confusing a position when he ranked the Ulster Scots Academy as a higher priority over the 5 cancelled Olympic centre of excellences according to reports in todays Belfast Telegraph
How many people here actually profess to speak Ulster-Scots Ian?
I think its a shocking waste of money all designed for politic correctness and whats meant to look like diversity when very few people are at all interested. To a lesser degree the same could be same for the Irish language.
In times of such economic hardship this things appear so insignificant and wasteful
My real point here (also in reply to NIR) is how the DUP can get away with such blatant U-turns untouched. NIR raises an apt second point to back that up in this case.
Your first question is *really* complicated, let me come back to it in another blog one day!
The real issue is that there is really no need for public money to be spent on it, because no one has put forward a sensible proposal on what to spend it on. We already have academics engaged in the relevant research, and we are of course free to follow these things in our own time (as I do).
Personally, as a supporter and amateur researcher of the Scots LANGUAGE in Ulster, I have to say that Nelson McCausland, like John Laird, was a hardened anti-Gaelic language activist long before he every heard the word ‘Ulster-Scots’.
Has he given a penny toward a recording project? or a linguistic atlas?
He hasnae.
Naw, he wants for to make Scots look ridiculous, so tha he ken maik tha Erse luk ridiculous by association.
Michael,
It is hard to see other than that your last point is right, although I’d gladly see it proved otherwise. I can’t deny that sometimes it serves a purpose to prove, in general, how wasteful some spending on “culture” is, but that is different from having the genuine interest you, I and others have in languages.
The sad truth is that there *is* something of interest in Ulster Scots, but no one seems to want to do the relevant projects to research it in case they find out things which don’t suit their agenda. This may be why it’s best left to academics and volunteers who have a genuine interest.
I can think of a lot of better ways to spend money. A read of your child poverty posts is but one.
here here clare
and with the mention of academies, have u done a post ian about the integration of education? if we are talking about a shared future then we need to break down the divisions and i can’t see a more glaring example than that of putting children in different schools for 12-14 of their most formative years.
I have in the past, Dave, arguing that even the Alliance Party doesn’t go far enough on the issue.
But I will do so again!
good man yer da ian
dave
ps enjoyed the ulster-scots recitals at the almaty burns supper last night…