DIATRIBES about the emotion of nationalism, and its dangers, ignore the chasm between what is short-term and what is long-term, namely the emotion of caring for Scotland.
New Labour probably won the recent General Election resoundingly in Scotland because of good memories of the late John Smith, MP.
The 1997 pre-referendum Government leaflet, ''Scotland's Parliament - Your Choice,'' states how the Scottish Parliament would work and where it would be created: ''The Government are currently considering locations in Edinburgh including the old Royal High School to find a site . . . ''
On January 9, 1998, the decision on the site was made in direct opposition to the advice of the Scottish Office Comparative Transport and Environmental Assessment of January 1998 which states: ''The assessment undertaken through a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis suggests that Regent Road represents the most advantageous option for the siting of the Scottish Parliament building. The site on balance offers the broadest range of advantages.
''The results of sensitivity tests across a broad range of weightings indicate that the ranking of the site is acceptably robust and that Regent Road is ranked first relative to the other sites.''
The breath-taking, undemocratic arrogance of the London Government's representative, Donald Dewar, MP, in lightheartedly claiming a personal right to choose the site, no reasons ever given then or now, caused the first ripples of doubt to surface about New Labour's integrity, particularly with the revelations of the secret-deal Holyrood Road choice appearing.
A belated nod towards the democratic processes by appointing a panel of judges to choose the final list of architectural firms to ''design'' the site does not alter the unaccountable ditching of the finest site in Europe which the City of Edinburgh offered as a gift.
The people's choice at the referendum was the Calton Hill area and, if the case were fairly put, would agree with the Scottish Office survey today.
It is not too late for an accountable Government to redesign the Calton Hill/Regent Road site (ie, the massive former Post Office HQ together with the former Royal High School and two gatehouses and considerable ground space) in contemporary harmony.
Mary E Mackenzie,
Branxholme,
Springhill Road,
Peebles.
May 9.
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