Former Team GB cycling boss Dave Brailsford has added his voice to the campaign for a No vote in the referendum on Scottish independence this Thursday, September 18.
Brailsford was a major factor in the successful Olympic career of Scottish track cycist Chris Hoy, whose seven medals make him the most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time, and the most successful British Olympic athlete alongside Bradley Wiggins.
Following Team GB's success at the London Olympics, Brailsford recently stepped down from the role of performance director of British Cycling to focus on running the Sky professional team, which has no Scottish riders in its ranks.
In a statement from the Better Together campaign, Brailsford said: “Scotland has been a huge part of the success of British Cycling, and I hope the UK stays together for the benefit of all sport, but especially Olympic sports like ours. UK sport is one of the best things this country has and it is all possible because we can share talent, resources and ideas.
“I was born in England but raised in Wales with Welsh as my first language, and I feel passionately Welsh, English and British, and I feel all the countries of the UK are a big part of my national identity. My message to friends in Scotland is simple: 'It is for you to decide your own future but for the sake of UK sport I hope you vote NO.'"
Brailsford is the latest of many celebritis and sportspeople to advise the Scottish people to stay in the United Kingdom, as polls have shown an increase in support for the Yes campaign.
It could be said that perhaps trotting out sportspeople, singers and actors to comment on the most important Scottish political decision in hundreds of years gives the impression that Better Together is taking a patronising attitude to the campaign. Some might say that getting the Davids Bowie, Beckham and Brailsford to speak for Scotland not leaving the UK rather trivialises the debate, and could even be counter-productive.
After the recent Apple iPhone 6 and watch launch, the Yes campaign is probably now hoping for Bono to to come out against Scottish independence to clinch a landslide victory on Thursday.
57 thoughts on “Dave Brailsford comes out against Scottish independence”
What does Graeme Obree say?
What does Graeme Obree say?
I would very polity ask Dave
I would very polity ask Dave to F8ck off…..it has nothing to do with him.
Scottish sport will thrive without the likes of British Cycling aiming all their money as the poster childs they want to do well.
Gkam84 wrote:I would very
He ran the elite programme for British Cycling of course he’s entitled to an opinion. We all are. And we are entitled to express it thankyou very much including Dave Brailsford.
Gkam84 wrote:I would very
Hmmm, so Gkam84, have you ever commented on something that has nothing to do with you ?
😕
Gkam84 wrote:I would very
That is beyond absurb. So only Scottish people, living in Scotland, are allowed an opinion on something that directly effects a handful of countries?
Another question. Excluding the Scolympians that trained in England, how many Scottish athletes have won medals over the previous few games? Chris Hoy himself has said he wouldn’t have won as much if it wasn’t for the British facilities and funding available.
As a Scot I have supported
As a Scot I have supported the Scottish national football team and cheered on Katie Archibald at the Commonwealth games but I have equally supported the British Lions and Sir Bradley Wiggins.
However, when coming to a decision on whether Scotland and it’s people would be better as an independent country, I’ve got to admit, sporting unity is not a consideration.
My priority as a voter in this referendum is to see some of the poor kids in Glasgow who rely on food banks being better fed than whether or not an alumni from George Watson’s College goes on to win several gold medals for the UK. That can come later.
stenmeister wrote:As a Scot I
On that day (Thursday 18th September 2014) I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.
Ezekiel 20:6
Top level sport is elitist
Top level sport is elitist (by its very nature) and very few actually benefit. It shouldn’t even be a consideration in the debate.
Sounds like Better Together is desperately clutching at straws more than anything else.
truffy wrote:Top level sport
I think that loads of cyclists and people that have taken up cycling have benefitted from the success of Team GB in cycling. As it happens I am an Englishman that would happily wave goodbye to Scotland and hope they vote yes, But actually quite a lot of things will change that people haven’t even thought about. Of course the whole of GB is funding an elite programme and can pick riders from the whole of GB to be in the programme then that is likely to be a stronger and more succesful set up than the remainder of the UK pro rata funding the programme and only picking riders from England Wales and NI.
Brailsford speaks sense but I’m still keen to see the Scots go their own way.
Its amazing how Sir Dave
Its amazing how Sir Dave thinks that his opinion matters a toss to us voters in Scotland.
On Thursday, the people of Scotland get a unique opportunity to shun the corrupt ways of Westminster and start to shape a society that best reflects our needs and aspirations.
If Sir Dave would like to come here and live amongst us then great, otherwise I’d be as well listening to the opinion of an African bushman.
And its a big, fat Yes from me 🙂
offshore_dave wrote:Its
And me and I am English and I live in England. But this idea that people involved in enterprises which are by nature “British” encompassing all the countries of the Union, who earn their living, invest their money, don’t have the right to point out the consequences of Scottish Independence is perhaps a bad omen for the future. The rest of the UK will continue to have free speech and people will continue to have opinions on anything they want and express them whenever they want. I get the feeling from you that this might not be the case in an independent Scotland.
oozaveared, by all means have
oozaveared, by all means have and share your opinion.
Dave is entitled to his as everyone else is. Why did he need to link up with the Better Together campaign to share his opinion, that is why I said it has nothing to do with him.
Why is he getting involved with a political group, just release a press statement himself….
Gkam84 wrote:oozaveared, by
Why not? He’s entitled to express his opinion any way he wants. If he thinks his opinion matters (and I think he does) Then he may well have thought he’d express it in a way that most likely to have an effect by linking up with like minded people. This freedom of speech thing also entitles you to other freedoms as well.
I think he’s wrong about the Union. I think we in England are better off without Scotland. Dave is entitled to disagree. I do think though that the rest of the UK will have it’s pick of Scottish talent happy to wear UK or GB kit in return for the facilities and funding.
The UK will probably survive
The UK will probably survive without Scotland – the problem I see is a succession of independence votes and no UK left. Scotland on the other hand will struggle for years with the reality of being a state on its own (its athletes won’t be able to compete at the next Olympics under a Scottish flag but will be using the Olympic flag as South Sudan had to do)
hairyairey wrote:The UK will
They’ll still have UK citizenship and if they’re any good they’ll just sign up for the programme in the rest of the UK. That’s what happens to all those countries situated around the USA. And the New Zealand Rugby team is chock full of south sea islanders with shiny new kiwi passports. It won’t hurt the UK. Personally I’d ban the practice but the world doesn’t work that way.
You Sir…Schumcksford…are
You Sir…Schumcksford…are a Royal Douche! :))
I always knew this punter was a fraud, now it’s clear he also a scumbag in general. =D>
Big Ups Off Shore Dave! I
Big Ups Off Shore Dave! I sincerely hope that Scotland gets her independence from the Nationalistic Western Order of NAZI’s in the British Regime. In cahoots with the POS scumbags here in the US. The U.S. Fourth Reich and the Euro Trans Global Tyranny despise Freedom and Liberty.
The Oligarchs in Brussels and the rest of the West want nothing more than to Control everyone and everything they can grab. The EU’s ultimate goal is to abolish boarders, cultures and language and to create common Slave States throughout Europe, just like we have here in the U.S.
The subversive, corrupted Globalist leaders of the West need to be eradicated. 😉
I have lived in the UK for
I have lived in the UK for nearly 50 years and only now, thanks to Alex and his merry men, I have realised what an awful place this is – quite depressing really. Mr Brailsford has every right to voice an opinion, as does everyone in the UK, this affects of all. It’s not wrong to disagree and on Friday, independent or not, Scotland needs to get on with itself and the rest of the world. I thought cycling could be spared!
Well said, John Stevenson /
Well said, John Stevenson / road.cc, this isn’t a decision to make based on potential competitive sports results – there’s active discussion up here about how cycling policy may shift after the vote, but even that isn’t central in this thing for me, a utility cycling Yes guy.
vbvb wrote:there’s active
There isn’t – Scottish transport policy including cycling is already decided from Holyrood, Welsh policy from Cardiff (exception is trunk road network in England & Wales still centralised), policy in England is down to DfT/Westminster.
Simon_MacMichael wrote:vbvb
Many devolved policies are largely shadowing UK policy or approach and may shift noticeably after independence. Much discussion of this – I can tell you, because I am up here. Not important point, take it or leave it, as preferred. <:P
It’s a very upbeat warm-hearted campaign so far, despite the media spin. We’re all almost ready for a break from the topic though, I think it’s fair to say! A party on Friday and Saturday, nice cup of tea on Sunday, then onto the nuts n bolts on Monday!
Its finally here, the Road.cc
Its finally here, the Road.cc officially unofficial Scottish Independence thread. So Sir Dave is allowed to have his say, but its alright to tell him to F-off is it? The Yes campaign isn’t helped by inarticulate outbursts.
Here are some facts: even with a yes there is a reasonable chance Scotland will still be in the Union by Rio, it is less than two years away, and there is no end of other important things to settle first.
The achievements of Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Andy Murray and Sir Jackie Stewart, etc will always British. You can start an edit war on Wikipedia to try and change those little flags but I distinctly remember Andy crying and singing the National Anthem at Wimbledon in the Olympics in his GB team kit.
This is what DB is talking about, Football and Rugby are big enough to go it alone, but smaller sports do benefit from a bigger pool of players to draw on. Please note how he restrained himself to talking about cycling. It is up to you if you see an analogy between Team GB and the state. Scottish, English, Welsh, Irish, Kenyan, Better Together.
He talks ‘Tosh’
British
He talks ‘Tosh’
British cycling is great if you are a man, but appalling if you are a woman.
Scotland treats women in sports a whole lot better, and what the blue blazes has anything he says got to do with the future of Scotland!? The media is really scraping the barrel regarding the vote.
Oh. I thought Road was an
Oh. I thought Road was an island of safety. Even my Twitter feed of cycling persons has gone all “Aye!/Nae!”. I’m on the verge of unfollowing a few very erudite and knowledgeable people.
As a proud Englishman, I genuinely hope Scotland votes no. That’s because I believe the Yes campaign have systematically and shamefully lied to the more vulnerable and gullible parts of the electorate and as a result, it has not been a ‘clean’ choice. I also fear that the biased question posed, and the sheer fact that people given a choice ‘to do something or not’ tend to ‘do it’, may produce a false result.
If it is a yes, I genuinely hope the prayers and dreams of King Eck are realised and Scotland constructs a prosperous egalitarian country. If it does, I’ll happily move there, as I love the place and its people.
Great Britain is a
Great Britain is a geographical construct anyway.
Its the United Kingdom thats going to go tits up after a Yes vote.
TBH so the fcuk what? He
TBH so the fcuk what? He doesnt get a vote so his opinion don’t count. Nothing to see here, move along please.
After the 18th it will be known as FUK(Formaly United Kingdom)………
VOTE YES ON THE 18th
Ach…you can’t make a
Ach…you can’t make a decision that will have profound geopolitical and socio-economic consequences on sport and winning medals. Now that would be daft.
Having said that I do despair at the ‘shut yer mouth’ brigade, he’s perfectly entitled to his opinion. I sometimes wish they would follow their own advice.
Still voting Yes mind you…
If it wasn’t for Panama,
If it wasn’t for Panama, Scotland would have been ok.
We may not have a vote, but
We may not have a vote, but we do get to have an opinion – and the right of free speech.
Given the number of national institutions which stand to get torn up with a yes vote, and the redistribution of political power in the reminder of the UK, this is something which will effect us all, even though we don’t get a say.
For my opinion – I think the Scots will be more in control of their future by staying in the UK, and continuing to have their politicians in Westminster.
If they think they can end Westminster’s influence by voting yes, then I think they may be in for a shock. And just think – if they do vote ‘yes’ – just look at what happens to the house of commons when you subtract those Scottish seats…. The tories will have a safe government with a huge majority, and will be able to do what they like. The Scottish will have to negotiate with that…
Must be Mad wrote:And just
We might have to muddle our way through a Labour rump parliament first. In the words of The Architect, “There are levels of existence we are prepared to tolerate.”
Thursday can’t come soon enough.
bikeboy76 wrote:Must be Mad
Don’t worry about the rump parliament idea. Milibubble won’t have a majority without Scotland and therefore the other parties would win a vote of no confidence and force a new election.
He’s entitled to say what he
He’s entitled to say what he likes. We’re not living in North Korea. That said, I doubt his comments will have any influence one way or another. Scotland’s yes campaign has been swayed by the smooth, silken tongue of Alex Salmond who has at best, been economical with the truth.
I’m Scottish and I happen to think independence will be an utter disaster for Scotland, but since Alex Salmond decided to prevent the 750,000 ex-patriot Scots like me from being able to vote, all I can do is urge family and friends to make the sensible choice. Salmond has also broken with commonly accepted UK rules on voting by allowing those aged 16 the vote. It doesn’t take a great deal of thought to put two and two together.
Economically, Scotland cannot survive on its own while independence will also impact heavily on the rest of the UK. We’ll be arguing in court for decades over who owns what while Edinburgh’s banks will all shift south. If Scotland opts for independence, the young will have to depart Scotland to look for work as there won’t be any jobs.
Cycling in Scotland will take a nosedive if the country gest independence I reckon.
OldRidgeback, the reason you
OldRidgeback, the reason you don’t have a vote is because its not a vote for the Scottish to decide on Scotland’s future. Its a vote for those living in Scotland to decide on Scotland’s future.
Giving you are an ex pat, you obviously don’t know how engaged and educated those 16 and over have become in this. There is no pulling the wool over their eyes and “think about your pension” with them.
OldRidgeback wrote:…since
I’m an expatriate Scot; certainly not an “ex-patriot,” though 😉
OldRidgeback wrote:Alex
I am also an expatriate and quite rightly have no vote. If you freely choose to leave the country you shouldn’t have a vote on its future.
Which respectable economic source did you find that from?
OldRidgeback wrote:He’s
I’m English but I am less inclined to believe that if Scotland leaves the Union it will be a disaster, I don’t think it will. I am English by the way and my interest is in the future of England which I think will be better if the Scots just go and do their own thing and we do ours. There will be some tricky stuff to sort out but the UK probably has the most experience of any country in the world in sorting out independence / secession treaties.
Whilst there won’t be an economic disaster neither will Scotland become a sort of Tartan Norway. It’s much more liekly to follow the economic path of Ireland on independence. Put a small independent country however dynamic next to a larger country and watch the talent and investment gradually drain out. The ones with any get up and go will get up and leave. Not straight away, but over time. The UK government won’t feel obliged to adjust things to include Scotland, perhaps we might now have a sensible time zone matching most of Europe. We only have the current one to appease the idea that the UK needs to compromise and have a time zone that also suits a few Scots farmers way up north.
So no big bangs. No disasters, No melt downs, Scotland will just become less and less a factor for the UK to consider and over time the UK will suck in the better talents it has to offer as bigger countries always do to little ones.
oozaveared wrote:Put a small
I’d be interested to see some research showing that – having been involved in economic development for 15 years, I’d say that other factors are far more important. It doesn’t really seem to hold for Europe’s small countries – the fluent-in-English the Scandinavians and Dutch haven’t abandoned their small states for the UK. What about Canada and the USA? Ireland (like Scotland) has certainly exported a lot of people over the years but it was doing that before and after independence, and I’m not sure that the recent crash was particularly size-related (the UK’s recession was pretty serious too but we’re limited in our migration potential by our poor language skills (wrt the EU) and migrations restrictions (wrt N America, Australasia)).
There is a London effect, certainly, but that’s a city not a country effect and one that possibly operates more on the rest of England than on Scotland, which has a stronger economy than the UK outside the London mega-region, and already has some institutions and power denied the regions of England.
I moved from Scotland to London – not because I wanted to move to England but because I wanted to move to London, which is really pretty un-English (and un-British) in many ways.
Didn’t really expect to be having these discussions on road.cc but good that such an important debate is so pervasive!
Most of us English have
Most of us English have remained unheard through this referendum. This referendum will impact on us all throughout the union. 1) I have not voted for this gov. but still live with it and all past ones 2) If there is a yes vote and the union breaks up we should have a referendum regarding things like currency, shipbuilding coming back,sports funding and all previously shared stuff. I am fed up being treated badly by some sections of the Scottish fraternity.
One observation I would make
One observation I would make is that if someone exercises their freedom to express their opinion and it’s a “no”, it invariably provokes an unnecessary vitriolitic response from those in the “yes” camp. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, I fear that this is something that the outcome will not put a lid on. Sadly it is easier to destroy than to build.
And I’ve seen the same from
And I’ve seen the same from the “No camp”. But in reality I’ve had plenty of healthy debate with friends who are No voters.
I’m sure someone once said, the loonies focus on the loonies
Brailsford can say what he
Brailsford can say what he likes, when he likes as far as i’m concerned, just like all the comments on here. Because people dont agree with them it doesn’t mean its wrong.
There’s a hell of a lot of questions that remain unanswered by the Yes side and i think that in itself will mean the No vote will win.
Either way i dont really care as i dont live in Scotland and personally a vote either way will probably have no effect on me.
Sure, it’s an exercise is
Sure, it’s an exercise is democracy and it’s right that the vote is available to those living in Scotland (rather than just a political vote available only to MPs for example), but this idea that independence has nothing to do with anyone else is utter tosh. The economy (not least currency), defence, politics, trade and industry are just a few things that will be affected on both sides of the border. The international money markets don’t like uncertainty, so if overseas investors take their funds out of the pound (as was advised by Japanese bank Nomura) pending resumption of stability, thus devaluing the currency, why is it some north of the border think that the rest of us shouldn’t have an opinion? This directly affects the rest of us as well.
As for the issue itself, I can’t help but be wary of anything slimy salmond says.
Duncann, you must be mad
Duncann, you must be mad mate, wanting to move to London purely through choice rather than need 😕
stumps wrote:Duncann, you
Not sure if you’re being serious but – if you like city life – then London is ace. I miss the easy access to spectacular countryside but the alternative attractions, particularly the overwhelming range of people from everywhere who have also chosen to be here, compensates. Not sure it’s forever but it’s for the foreseeable.
Duncann wrote:stumps
Deadly serious mate, I’ve been to London quite a few times for breaks and work over the years and it’s a place i could never live. It’s 10 minutes from where i live to the countryside and i can see the sea from my bedroom window. City life would never suit me but good on you for taking the plunge and doing it mate =D>
stumps wrote:Duncann
Deadly serious mate, I’ve been to London quite a few times for breaks and work over the years and it’s a place i could never live. It’s 10 minutes from where i live to the countryside and i can see the sea from my bedroom window. City life would never suit me but good on you for taking the plunge and doing it mate =D>— stumps
I’ve lived in London for years now and like it a lot. I miss being able to get out of the city into the countryside quickly, as I could when I lived in Edinburgh. But London has so much more to offer.
Seems I am not alone in
Seems I am not alone in finding some of the yes vote camp’s responses unnecessarily vitriolic:
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-09-16/i-have-a-confession-to-make-i-am-not-enjoying-covering-the-scottish-referendum/
One other aspect to contemplate as Conoco scale back North Sea involvement (they most certainly are not influenced by Westminster):
http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/140aa88c-3d16-11e4-a2ab-00144feabdc0.html
As the old saying goes, electorates tend to get the Governments they deserve.
I wish the Scottish people well but struggle to see how such a fundamental decision can be reached when so much of the detail is up in the air.
Back to the OP, of course Sir Dave is entitled to express his views given it affects something he has benn so closely and successfully involved in
Serious issue about liberty
Serious issue about liberty and freedom and CHOICE.
Which after all, is the Crux of Freedom.
But thought this was funny! A bit of levity into the conversation…
It has all been foretold: Tam
It has all been foretold: Tam Dalyell – Devolution: The End of Britain?, 1977
Conservative government forces Labour to the centre to regain support in England. Labour offers devolution to Scotland and Wales as a sop to maintain support. Labour wins majority (they would have won anyway without offering devolution.) Devolution passes and Labour wins new seats. People become unhappy with Labour as incumbent government, vote in Nationalists as they are unable to support Conservatives. Nationalists see this as a mandate for independence. A Referendum is called…
And the question, why not: “Should Scotland remain as part of the United Kingdom?” I’d say Yes to that.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
Scotland has spoken and
Scotland has spoken and spoken in quite a resounding tone. Time to move on imho.
stumps wrote:Scotland has
It was a marginal amount. Considering the turnout (around 75%) under half voted to remain part of the Union.
That’s hardly “resounding”.
No Zanf, turnout was 84.59%.
No Zanf, turnout was 84.59%. Remarkably high in my book.
The result will be accepeted as clear enough, I suspect there is a consensus for change – but not for independence.
It’s a sad day for England.
It’s a sad day for England. But then the views of rUK as to whether Scotland should be allowed to remain hardly seem to matter. So much for democracy, huh?
truffy wrote:It’s a sad day
A sad day for England, why?
If Scotland had opted for independence it would’ve resulted in a lengthy, torturous, hugely expensive and probably very divisive divorce process. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are still arguing over who owns what following the Golden Revolution 25 years ago, and those are two small countries that were only joined together for a comparatively short time. With 307 years of history and a lot of valuable assets, the legal battle between Scotland and the rest of the UK would’ve been 10x worse.
Independence for Scotland would’ve had a major impact on the economy of the UK too, as investors would’ve fled the uncertainty of the UK market. Over time perhaps the London area might have benefited, as Scottish banks had said they’d move south. But at the same time, the UK’s influence worldwide would’ve been substantially weakened.
There would’ve been numerous other hurdles and complications too, even down to little things like passports, flags and what the hell to call the rest of the UK.
No
No 2,001,926 55.30%
Yes 1,617,989 44.70%
In my eyes that’s a resounding result with just short of 85% voting.