It’s worth looking to Scotland from time to time.
The Scots frequently lead and others follow. You may well agree and point to David Hume, Adam Smith and the rest of the lads who fundamentally changed European thinking through the Enlightenment. Or Alexander Fleming with his penicillin (useful) and John Logie Baird with his TV (also useful). I give you Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson – revolutionary figures all. And Alan McGee, who made the careers of Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub AND Oasis, thereby making the world immeasurably better. And then there’s Armando Iannucci, the great interpreter of our times. This list could grow.
All of these names have one thing in common. They’re all men. Is this my shortcoming or that of history?
Ever in the vanguard of change, the next revolutionary step is coming from Scotland, and it is led by women. But it is coming quietly. For now.
The battle for equal pay has been rumbling for many years
Some days ago thousands of working women across Glasgow voted to go on strike. They are not the people who normally dominate media or political discourse. They are carers and school admin workers, school cleaners and nursery staff. They are asking for equal pay. Which seems like a legitimate request. There are more than 5,000 of them.
About 3,000 are employed by Glasgow City Council and over 2,000 by Cordia, providing services under contract. The ballot to strike was backed by over 90 per cent of union members. There are at least the same number again who aren’t members. This is a significant moment.