Hamish Gobson’s diary: the view from across the Uisge
27 January 2023
LORD SUMPTION’S contribution to the gender debate this week will be much appreciated by all Britons who believe in equal rights for all citizens in all circumstances. He is correct to observe that the basic objection to having special qualifications in particular parts of the UK for freedoms which can be exercised anywhere in the UK relates to equality of access.
Equality is incompatible with exceptionalism, whether Scottish or otherwise, so it is reasonable to ask what would happen if, as some local politicians have suggested, the minimum age for driving licenses followed that which has been proposed for members of the Scottish Parliament and be reduced to 16? One Green politician appears to have suggested that for some previously “adult” activities the threshold ought to be 8.
The same could apply to broader fields, like aviation. I gather that Nicola Sturgeon has said, “I trust 16-year olds.” Fine with paperwork. But with helicopters? The Chief Mammy might be happy with a 16-year old flying her up to Cornton Vale for the annual Masked Ball, but what would happen if she needed to leave for France in an emergency – for example when staying in a hotel which she discovered in moment of emotional stress does not supply guests with irons to throw at other guests? Would the French air traffic authorities be happy with teenagers choppering political refugees all over their country, with the attendant risk to important vineyards or (highly flammable) lavender farms?
In the Hebrides, we can see from long experience which way the wind is blowing. Here on the isle of Great Todday, for example, we are experimenting with allowing 8-year olds to skipper ferries. The principle of “equal rights” will one day demand no less. We want to future-proof ourselves in the name of social resilience.
Obviously, there are obstacles to be overcome, but we have not let ourselves be daunted by the fearties. It turns out there is funding available for the boxes young children need to stand on if they are to be able to see over a ship’s wheel, or to get up high enough that they can study the chart table. In advanced societies like ours, few people object. We are realists. We understand that the Scottish ferry is no longer a vessel which typically plies from one pier to another. Instead, it stays tied up alongside a single pier, rusting slowly as the ubiquitous seaweed takes over.
Static berthing removes the need for both charts or wheels – or passengers. The correct nautical expression for this situation is: “Finish with Engines.” That happens also to be the motto of the New Green Party. We want to swim with the tide, partly because that might one day be the only way of getting around the islands.
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Hamish Gobson lives on the isle of Great Todday (Todaidh Mór) and features in Nicola Sturgeon, vol. 1, The Years of Ascent 1970-2007 – A Citizen’s Biography of a Driven Woman in a Drifting Parliament (Ian Mitchell, 2022) – available on Amazon.co.uk and also reviewed here by Tom Gallagher.
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