tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post4089377017596034580..comments2023-05-01T16:14:04.382+01:00Comments on Scots and Independent: A Glimpse Of The Future?Richard Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-28991914636835562642010-04-23T16:46:26.945+01:002010-04-23T16:46:26.945+01:00get ready for hung parliament!get ready for hung parliament!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-54167644237369148802008-04-01T12:56:00.000+01:002008-04-01T12:56:00.000+01:00Whatever the thoughts anyone may have on this matt...Whatever the thoughts anyone may have on this matter it seems to <BR/>me that the only fair way to deal with the issue is for full decentralisation of the U.K.<BR/>In common with Scotland, Wales should be given its own elected parliament so also should England.<BR/>The House of Commons with its 659 M P's should be dissolved and the building used to accomodate the English parliament with a realistic representation.<BR/>The House of Lords shuld also be dissolved and used to accomodate the M E P's who would form a Federal government attending to their existing role together with Defence and Foreign affairs for the whole of the U.K.<BR/>This would give autonomy to all three countries together with a Federal unit where there is common ground.<BR/>The Irish people once freed from the legacy of a colonial past are perfectly cabable of governing themselves as a member of the E.U.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-72679731113413512922008-03-26T11:20:00.000+00:002008-03-26T11:20:00.000+00:00Nice scenario - but I prefer England to become ind...Nice scenario - but I prefer England to become independent rather than Scotland - because it would also deliver Welsh independence!Pendduhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10244123496175993094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-11818222395173919762008-03-25T10:34:00.000+00:002008-03-25T10:34:00.000+00:00Thanks for the plug, NM.Thanks for the plug, NM.Richard Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-30589548749095454702008-03-24T23:43:00.000+00:002008-03-24T23:43:00.000+00:00Not merely from the south. I also enjoyed it.Not merely from the south. I also enjoyed it.Normal Mouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07374935277497669293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-30557818783864217222008-03-23T19:36:00.000+00:002008-03-23T19:36:00.000+00:00Thanks for your kind words, Tommy, though when it ...Thanks for your kind words, Tommy, though when it comes to your question, you may have noticed I've been dealing in the generalities rather than the specifics with this post :-)<BR/><BR/>3 posts from English nats and none from Scots - I'd no idea I'd such a following south of the border..Richard Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-63658040658366217172008-03-22T17:35:00.000+00:002008-03-22T17:35:00.000+00:00So would Sir Thomas Sean Connery be returning home...So would Sir Thomas Sean Connery be returning home with a tan now?<BR/>:o)<BR/>Great post by the way.Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174645670302583782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-43021733719863154672008-03-20T22:09:00.000+00:002008-03-20T22:09:00.000+00:00That's the thing isn't it, it would take some weir...<I>That's the thing isn't it, it would take some weird fluke to give the SNP such power, not a majority of the electorate.</I><BR/><BR/>Such are the vagaries of First Past The Post, Anon #2. Still, I bet it's been a while since any Westminster government was elected with a majority of votes, rather than just getting most of the total votes cast.<BR/><BR/>You're right about the financial powers needing to have been there from the start. Still, a recent study by Oxford Economics estimated Scotland raising about £48bn in taxes and spending about the same (inc. share of defence, etc). <BR/><BR/>Given the UK deficit of £42bn this year, that would be a healthy situation in which to be if Scotland were independent. The link that there should be between government and those being taxed isn't nearly as strong in Scotland as it should be - introducing it could only be a good thing for accountability.<BR/><BR/>I think there's a fair bit of truth in what you say about attitudes, or even the lack of them, towards Scotland amongst some folk in England. In my view that's neither particularly good nor bad - it's just the way it is. Hopefully, independence would see a relationship based on a bit more mutual respect from both sides of the border.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/>RichardRichard Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-35241544518353975232008-03-20T19:22:00.000+00:002008-03-20T19:22:00.000+00:00That's the thing isn't it, it would take some weir...That's the thing isn't it, it would take some weird fluke to give the SNP such power, not a majority of the electorate.<BR/><BR/>Nevertheless Holyrood should have tax raising powers, it was simply idiotic that it didn't have them from day one. Without that power, or that <I>responsibility</I>, you cannot have responsible government. If the SNP gained votes because enough Scots were thick enough to believe in La La land where everything (such as higher education and student debt) is free, then the financial powers of the parliament (or lack of them) have allowed then to indulge in this type of nonsense and Labour have only themselves to blame.<BR/><BR/>The sooner this anomaly is rectified the better. <BR/><BR/><I>"David Cameron really hadn’t wanted to go down in history as the PM who ‘lost’ Scotland, but eventually, it just seemed like the best option for everyone."</I><BR/><BR/>In the scheme of things it would be largely irrelevant, only a few face painting banjo strummers north of the border believe that Scotland is important to England, the vast majority of English couldn’t give a toss and would certainly not hold it against Cameron, indeed they wouldn't even notice.<BR/><BR/>Going southwards interest in Scotland declines sharply once you are past Carlisle, and long before you reach Leeds you find people only have a vague awareness that there is somewhere further north.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-72258073111492441662008-03-19T16:08:00.000+00:002008-03-19T16:08:00.000+00:00Your exercise in speculation is redolent with the ...<I>Your exercise in speculation is redolent with the confusion of so many who assume , wrongly, that the parliament in Westminster is in some way an English pariament.</I><BR/><BR/>Redolent with confusion? I think not, but look forward to your explanation of this charge nevertheless :-) <BR/><BR/>You sound like what you really want is English independence rather than the British parliament we have currently. If so, then more power to you as far as I'm concerned.Richard Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-6853056365928717912008-03-19T14:28:00.000+00:002008-03-19T14:28:00.000+00:00Your exercise in speculation is redolent with the ...Your exercise in speculation is redolent with the confusion of so many who assume , wrongly, that the parliament in Westminster is in some way an English pariament. It is not . It is a British parliament . <BR/> There should be fiscal independence for England and Scotland and a divi up of legal responsibility for atributable shares of the British national debt , with an English negotiating committee appointed by an English government to determine the English share . <BR/> The English are under no obligation to adhere to any agreement not arrived at by a democratically appointed ENGLISH (not British) committee and reserve the right to repudiate the outcome of any negotiations taken without their specific and legal approval .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com