In the art gallery sat opposite the famed Duke of Wellington statue, Sir Billy says it’s not the traffic cone that draws him to the Glasgow icon, but cigarettes: “There are sculptures of historical Scottish events [around the plinth], and there’s one of a boy leaving home obviously to join the Jacobites or something, and he’s waving to his mother in the cottage as he goes out the door.”
Ludo Thierry
STV News site carrying an interesting short embedded interview with Billy Connolly regarding his current art exhibition in Glasgow – but expand the interview to include his observations regarding Scotland’s political predicament – and note how his political stance has altered over time. A good piece of reportage. The beeb site has been carrying a tiny embedded interview with Billy regarding his exhibition but no similar straying into Billy’s considered observations on Scotland’s political situation from the Ukanian State broadcaster – can’t imagine why not? STV news link and snippet below:
https://news.stv.tv/entertainment/sir-billy-on-art-independence-and-the-duke-of-wellington
Sir Billy on art, independence and the Duke of Wellington
The comedian has spoken to STV News about his new artwork and his thoughts on independence.
While once Sir Billy was a staunch opposer of Scottish independence, he has a more pragmatic response to the question of a second referendum these days, adding that while he won’t be ‘leading the parade’ for the cause, he will happily support it if the side wins.
“There’s a great love of Scotland making itself apparent. And they’re fed up voting for people and getting what other people vote for. They’re rightly angry about it,” he says.
“I go with the flow, I’m not a flag waver. I won’t be leading the parade for anything. But if Scotland wants it, Scotland will get it, and I’ll be there clapping.”
For now, Sir Billy is happy to be enjoying a world of colour through his art, which will be on display in Glasgow until March 22.
Talking-up Scotland 
In 2014 the BBC reported that Mr Connolly would not vote in – and DID NOT wish to influence anyone over- Scotland’s independence decision.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26234287
Now that Mr Connolly is now clearly willing to make his views known and presumably, to accept any influence that his remarks may or not have, is the BBC reporting his change of heart? Have you been able to spot anything on this?
If not covered by the BBC – and given Mr Connolly’s views were newsworthy in 2014 and given his changed views are now in the public domain – could this be an example of what is termed ‘bias by omission’?
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I think Billy’s early views of opposition to Scottish independence stemmed from a once common view held by many left wing people that ‘nationalism’ equated with the ‘blood-and-soil’ nationalist attitudes of the 30s and earlier and even continue in places to this day. In addition, by that time he was living in England, in the US, and only occasionally returned to Scotland. Consequently, he was not au fait with the changes in thinking, to the concept of ‘civic nationalism’ and the fact that while we had comprehensively rejected the Tories we got decades of Tory governments. As can happen, he was adopted by the metropolitan chatterati and by the Royals and, as has happened to many, they get absorbed into this ethos.
However, I think around 2010, he began to notice the changes so that by 2014 he was ‘neutral’. I think that when he saw the size of the YES vote and the creative enthusiasm of so much of the YES campaign and by the fact that his children were in favour, he looked at it more insightfully and, probably, decided, it is the right thing.
We have to welcome anyone who changes his mind.
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