Sheffield & the Scots

DAWN is breaking in Sheffield as I write this from the eighth floor of my hotel room overlooking the Steel City.

My 18-year-old son Leo is asleep, but in an hour's time we have to be up, washed, breakfasted and on our way to the university for our 8.30am to 9am slot to pick up the keys to his student accommodation.

As is the want of a young man, emotions are buried, but I can tell that there's a knot in the stomach and the butterflies are raging - the key, I told Leo last night - is to get the butterflies flying in formation!

Leo is studying linguistics and Japanese at the University of Sheffield. Boy, he could have chosen easier subjects and even a university closer to home, but this is what he wants to do and the way he is approaching this new venture makes this particular father very proud.

It's very easy to deride the youth of today, but as Leo joins 5,000 other University of Sheffield students moving into their halls of residence this weekend, I know that this is a journey he has to make, and one he will never forget.

I've been to Sheffield a number of times. I have spent several days at the Ponds Forge complex covering swimming championships, and remember taking my two eldest sons along when they were infants.

I'll never forget that unusual smell of chlorine and fatty fast food which hits you as you walk into the entrance of the swimming pool!

And I've reported on matches at Hillsborough and Bramall Lane, the homes of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United football clubs, two grounds steeped in tradition and with proud histories.

I love Sheffield and last night as we walked through the city centre, past the fountains lit up at night, there is a vibrancy about the place. It's Leo's home for the next four years - and I hope he feels at home here.


I'm not a political person by nature. As an editor, I've had to keep my politics buried, but now I'm teaching, particularly government and public affairs, my antennae are twitching!

I've watched the whole Scottish independence debate with huge interest, and some amusement too.

I've also shared a sense of bewilderment at what is happening in the aftermath of the Scots saying by a margin of 55% to 45% that they want to remain a part of the United Kingdom.

Now there is talk of concessions being made to appease the pro-Independence movement. Scottish Nationalist Party mouthpieces are calling on the Westminster parties to live up to their rash promises of giving the Scottish people more devolved powers; promises the political leaders did not have the gift to give.

Ultimately, Parliament will decide whether more powers are to be given to Scotland and I hope that MPs will be given a free vote to decide - I doubt it.

Let's not forget, that 10% is a huge swing, and I wonder of the majority of Scots who voted to stay a part of the UK, how many of them want more powers for Scotland, or how many want to keep the status quo?

Because the point is this. An election was held, the people have voted, and that is democracy. Had the SNP and the Scottish Independence movement won with an exact reverse of the result, would they have been offering concessions to the 1.6 million Scots who had voted to stay in the Union?

You bet they wouldn't!