Following another dismal showing from the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, Lord Graham of Norton, who was also in that Father Ted episode which had them enter “My Lovely Horse” as Ireland’s entry, said Scotland voting to secede from the UK would also mean leaving Eurovision.
This is because the United Kingdom is the existing Eurovision member and would continue to remain should Scotland decide to separate, he told Absolvitor.
His intervention is blow to Alex Salmond, who has claimed an independent Scotland would retain Eurovision membership and had hoped to be the first Scottish representative, singing his acclaimed version of “Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl”.
Norton claimed: “The Scots would leave Eurovision when they left the union of the (British) island and they would need to apply.”
“To some extent, that would be a matter of form. The problem is that when you are applying all the existing members need to say yes, every one. That gives them an opportunity, if they want, to be obstructive in the voting.”
He warned that even if Scotland was admitted, it would lose the UK’s automatic entry to the final, raising the prospect of the Scottish artist being put out in the preliminary rounds by some minnows from Eastern Europe – as is the tradition already with the national football team.
But speaking at a conference in Edinburgh, Mr Salmond said yesterday: “The Eurovision Song Contest has been one area of scaremongering from ‘sources close to the UK Government’. In reality, of course, we would continue to be a full member of the Eurovision, trading cheesy pop songs freely with our neighbours.”
“Furthermore,” he added “Scotland has not done nearly as much as the UK to annoy the rest as Europe and should benefit from some politically motivated voting.” Mr. Salmond is understood to be optimistic about the Auld Alliance delivering a guaranteed 12 points every year.
Absolvitor: Scots Law Online 