Scottish Independence

[CountDeMoney]

Can't understand a goddamned thing they're saying.

[Sheilbh]

This is all very difficult for Labour

[Gups]

There can't possibly be any justification  for Scottish MPs voting on English matters.

But what happens when a party has a majority in England but not in the UK?

An English Parliament is the only possible solution. A grand committee just won't work in teh above situation - A UK Government would not be able to get English legisklation through.

It's very inelegant and means the UK Parliament becomes a shdow of its former self,  but I can't see any alternative.

[Zanza]

What about one parliament for each of the nine English regions?



Those could have similar powers as the Scottish parliament.

[Warspite]

Analysis of the Scottish referendum here, by Ashcroft polling:

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2014/09/scotland-voted/#more-6383

[Viking]

Analysis of the Scottish referendum here, by Ashcroft polling:

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2014/09/scotland-voted/#more-6383

One in seven No voters said they would be reluctant to tell their friends, family or colleagues how they had voted.

[Legbiter]

NO!!!!!!!

In hindsight those toytown parliaments Tony Blair established were a mistake. All it takes for secession to root itself is one unpopular London government.

[PJL]

If there is an English Parliament, I vote to have it in Winchester, for historical reasons. Pragmatically, having it somewhere like Manchester would help get rid of the Westminster / Southern England bias.

[mongers]

Cameron should go or be couped, he's shown himself to be an inept bungler on the independence referendum.

[Warspite]

He's also failed to resolve the Arsenal defence midfielder problem. CAMERON OUT

[Grey Fox]

Analysis of the Scottish referendum here, by Ashcroft polling:

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2014/09/scotland-voted/#more-6383

One in seven No voters said they would be reluctant to tell their friends, family or colleagues how they had voted.

That's how it works.

You barely can find a francophone who voted No in 95, and yet?!

[mongers]

He's also failed to resolve the Arsenal defence midfielder problem. CAMERON OUT

So what did he do right?

He all but gave Salmond the choice of time, battlefield and weapons.

And then in a blind panic promised a devolved Scotland far more than he can probably deliver or what the country deserves as compared to the rest of the UK. 

[Grallon]

That's how it works.

You barely can find a francophone who voted No in 95, and yet?!

Indeed.  And from what I can read here, now that the panic over a possible Yes has dissipated, I daresay the Brits will renegade on their promises... As I had predicted.  That's how human nature works: you are afraid and if the fear doesn't materialize you want revenge on whoever induced the fear in the first place.  Witness the 'toy parliament' argument above.  The Scots will soon rue their choice.



G.

[Neil]

It will cost us in the short term but be worth it.

My main hope is that it revives a national interest in politics, not just among the young folk, and we get a decent turn-out for the next General Election.

2015 is still Cameron vs Miliband, is a battle to determine which suit is emptier.  People generally agree that the policies of the narrow group of parties in the Labour-through-Conservative range are the best.  The problem isn't so much the electorate as it is the party machines themselves, coupled with the media.  Anyone who isn't an empty suit would be destroyed.

[Warspite]

He's also failed to resolve the Arsenal defence midfielder problem. CAMERON OUT

So what did he do right?

He all but gave Salmond the choice of time, battlefield and weapons.

And then in a blind panic promised a devolved Scotland far more than he can probably deliver or what the country deserves as compared to the rest of the UK.

He could hardly have denied Salmond a referendum; the timing could have been different, but I don't think it would have been politically feasible to kick it into the next parliament; the question was a bit of a gamble, granted.

The blind panic we should realise was joined in across the parties, and given the Tory brand in Scotland it's hardly surprising they stayed out of it until the very end.

Was this done optimally? No. But Cameron will not go down as the prime minister who lost the union. And frankly, most people - even in England - believe a new constitutional arrangement has been on the cards for some time.