Among the many superstitions of the SNP is that the reorienting of Scottish politics around the constitution has been a ‘joyous’ and ‘civic’ affair. Far from pumping bitter political and national sectarianism into the public square, dividing the population into nationalists and Unionists has facilitated a great intellectual contest in the very best spirit of democracy.
Kevin Lang might have to disagree with that. Lang is the leader of the Liberal Democrats on Edinburgh City Council. Yesterday, he was delivering his newsletters in South Queensferry when he was assaulted by someone described as a ‘nationalist’. He posted on social media:
I’ve been doing politics a long time so I’m used to shouty, angry people but today is the first time I’ve ever been physically assaulted. I was simply out delivering my councillor newsletter when a man came out of his house, grabbed me by the throat and stuffed the newsletter down my shirt, using all kinds of profanity as he did so.
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