Bannockburn or a second Flodden." - Meaning and context.">
Speech in Belfast (8 April 1912), quoted in The Times (9 April 1912), p. 7
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As I crossed a few hours ago from Scotland I said to myself,—"The majority there are Radicals. They are going to vote next week for the Home Rule Bill. What would they say to a proposal which was to subject them to the same kind of Government or the same kind of men to which, for the sake of party interests, they are willing to sacrifice you?" They would never accept it. I know Scotland well, and I believe that, rather than submit to such a fate, the Scottish people would face a second Bannockburn or a second Flodden.

— Bonar Law

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "As I crossed a few hours ago from Scotland I said to myself,—"The majority there are Radicals. They are going to vote next week for the Home Rule Bill. What would they say to a proposal which was to subject them to the same kind of Government or the same kind of men to which, for the sake of party interests, they are willing to sacrifice you?" They would never accept it. I know Scotland well, and I believe that, rather than submit to such a fate, the Scottish people would face a second Bannockburn or a second Flodden." in the context of "Speech in Belfast (8 April 1912), quoted in The Times (9 April 1912), p. 7" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Bonar Law" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Bonar Law

About Bonar Law

Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 – 30 October 1923) was a Conservative British statesman and Prime Minister from 1922 to 1923.