Who is Joan McAlpine to criticise Scottish soldiers for their loyalty to Britain in 1914?

For those who don’t know, Joan McAlpine is an SNP MSP (and Parliamentary aide to Alex Salmond) who, to put it kindly, has said some controversial things in her relatively short elected career. She caused anger in Belfast and elsewhere by branding Titanic commemorations “ghoulish” – apparently there were ships built in Scotland “that didn’t succumb to their first clash with the elements”.

The local MP in Belfast invited her to the city to “become better informed”. I must admit, I have no idea if she accepted.

Continuing her sensible approach to political debate, she went on to compare the union between Scotland and England to an abusive marriage. Those offensive comments didn’t go down very well and brought cross party condemnation.

But her Daily Record column about commemorating the First World War might contain her most insensitive and badly timed outburst yet.

There is plenty to say about the tragedy of the First World War. She could have written that the soldiers of Great Britain and beyond were sent off to die in obscene numbers by the Generals and politicians who didn’t really understand the war they were commanding. Or that it was a drawn-out act of futility that set the world up for another World War, and that those who died – and have died in the wars since – should be remembered with solemn respect this week.

In fact, last year, Joan wrote quite movingly about the books of remembrance at Edinburgh Castle.

But this year, she also chose to chide Scottish soldiers for their “misplaced loyalty” to Britain in 1914 and added: “What they had to be patriotic about is anyone’s guess”.

It should be obvious to anyone what’s wrong with that. There is nothing dignified or respectful about second-guessing the patriotism of brave men who are long dead. Who is Joan McAlpine to criticise Scottish soldiers for their loyalty to Britain in 1914? She has her own views about the UK. That’s fine, but she shouldn’t project them onto the First World War generation of Scots soldiers in Remembrance Week.

Almost a hundred years ago, these men – boys covering up their young years in many cases – signed up to go to war. From across Britain, nearly a million died on the cut-up fields of Europe. Remembrance Sunday and the days leading up to it should be about commemorating the tragedy of that, not scoffing at their “misplaced loyalty” to Britain. Even if you think that, surely this week, you can employ your backspace key out of respect?

In her column, Joan McAlpine writes: “We will remember them with dignity and regret”. This Sunday the vast majority of us will – without for a second criticising their “misplaced loyalty” or second-guessing their patriotism.

Reflecting on the outbreak of the Great War certainly isn’t something to celebrate, but is there ever a right time to criticise the loyalty of a generation of Scots soldiers to their country? Not for me there isn’t.

Kenny Young is Vice Chair of Midlothian North & Musselburgh CLP and a former adviser to Ed Miliband