Harris Tweed Attempts to be less Scottish

I rather liked the unlikely story of Harris Tweed attempting to gloss over its Scottish roots.   The boss of a Harris Tweed manufacturer denied the firm was “de-Scottishifying” amid fears of a US backlash over the release of Lockerbie bomber. That makes two reasons why the yanks might be uncomfortable wearing their Scottish roots.

 There was outrage in the US when the Scottish Government allowed Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to return to Libya. Harris Tweed Hebrides’ creative director Mark Hogarth was quoted in newspapers saying the company was no longer promoting itself as Scottish.

But chairman Brian Wilson said Mr Hogarth had been “misrepresented”. The former Labour government minister said the Outer Hebrides-based company was not dropping Scotland from its marketing but was emphasising, as it always had done, its islands’ roots.

Mr Wilson said the firm had worries about the US market’s response to the release of Megrahi However, he said Harris Tweed Hebrides had not expressed its concerns as strongly as other businesses in Scotland.

Mr Hogarth had been quoted as saying that everyone the company had spoken to in the US felt that a serious mistake was made in releasing Megrahi, who is terminally ill. He reportedly said: “We have been getting a lot of feedback and we have had to de-Scottishify the image of the brand. If he had not been released we would not have altered anything.”

Speaking to BBC Scotland, Mr Wilson said: “It is completely wrong to say that Harris Tweed is dropping Scotland. Obviously some words were said back at the Harris Tweed farm. He added: “To talk about de-Scottishifying or dropping Scotland is complete and utter nonsense and is really quite dangerous nonsense.”

Harris Tweed is specially handwoven wool by communities in Scotland’s Western Isles.

It puts you in mind of McGrannies beavering away in front of a peat fire – but the truth is I suspect very different Unless of course they now outsource all that to remote communities in China.

I have to say I didn’t even realize that Harris Tweed was still being bought by anybody other than Prince Charles.

The Libyan Conundrum

It is not often that an act of political stupidity enrages everybody – but a Scotsman in a suit seems to have managed it by releasing the man convicted of blowing up a Pan Am plane over Lockerbie ‘for humane reasons’.  Even though this was an appalling tragedy, there was a certain amount t of humour in seeing Scottish flags waving enthusiastically amongst the welcoming crowd  in Libya to mark the convicted mass murderer’s heroic return. 

And therein lies the reason for all our politicians rushing for their plausible excuses file.  It seems highly unlikely that the cancer-ridden Libyan gent actually perpertrated the horror for which he was convicted.  One of the more plausible conspiracy theories has this as a macabre tit for tat crime in response for the USS  Vincennes shooting down an Iranian airliner back in 1979, killing a mere 290 pilgrims en-route to Mecca, including 66 children.

Maybe.  It seems more likely to me that oil is the overriding reason for Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi being so caringly released.  It might just be commercial opportunism.  Gordon Brown seemed to be looking even more evasive than usual when denying that particular line of question.   Jack Straw was quick to admit that Libya wanted his early release – and the small matter of two hundred dead bodies was not going to hold up that particular humane action. 

I suppose the fact that all the blame could conveniently be heaped on Scotland was pretty useful too.  And it does beggar belief.  Granted America is a long way away and those unfortunate passengers have been long forgotten by everybody except their grieving friends and relatives.  But when the plane was blown out of the skies it flattened part of a small Scottish town and destroyed Scottish lives. 

All things considered you would not think that a convicted bombers final days should be spent in comfort as a returning hero in Libya – even if it does keep the price of lead-free down by a penny or two for a little while longer.  Unless of course he did not do it – and the whole ghastly business has been an elaborate charade.