Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Josquius]

Why the assumptions that autonomy means entirely self-financing?
Even in Scotland that isn't the case.
We need to get a balance between centralisation and devolution. For instance one potential risk of federalism is a race to the bottom on tax rates. We do need varying tax rates across the country, however centrally set.

[Threviel]

People are people everywhere. The specifics might vary, but people generally think higher of themselves than they deserve. Northern Swedes and northern English alike.

[crazy canuck]

People are people everywhere. The specifics might vary, but people generally think higher of themselves than they deserve. Northern Swedes and northern English alike.

Not sure what that has to do with whether a Federal state should be preferred, or not, over Unitary state.  I think Tyr has a good point that Federal states have advantages.

[Jacob]

People are people everywhere. The specifics might vary, but people generally think higher of themselves than they deserve. Northern Swedes and northern English alike.

Not sure what that has to do with whether a Federal state should be preferred, or not, over Unitary state.  I think Tyr has a good point that Federal states have advantages.

The point is that Threvial and the Brain are from the advantaged regions close to the capital, and thus look down on those in the periphery - be it Northern Sweden or the Midlands.

[Josquius]

People are people everywhere. The specifics might vary, but people generally think higher of themselves than they deserve. Northern Swedes and northern English alike.

I'm not from the Midlands, that isn't even in the north.
I think they deserve better than they get.

[Threviel]

People are people everywhere. The specifics might vary, but people generally think higher of themselves than they deserve. Northern Swedes and northern English alike.

Not sure what that has to do with whether a Federal state should be preferred, or not, over Unitary state.  I think Tyr has a good point that Federal states have advantages.

The point is that Threvial and the Brain are from the advantaged regions close to the capital, and thus look down on those in the periphery - be it Northern Sweden or the Midlands.

He might be, I'm from rural southern Sweden, Countryside outside Varberg.

[Threviel]

And sorry everybody for my uninteresting and invalid anecdote. As Tyr has shown I don't even know where the Midlands are. 

[Jacob]

And sorry everybody for my uninteresting and invalid anecdote. As Tyr has shown I don't even know where the Midlands are. 

Anecdotes of whatever quality are second only to pointless invective as the very soul of Languish! You are a valuable contributor

[Zanza]

Britain can at least do away with European Union cohesion funds which are meant to transfer money from richer to poorer regions and improve the infrastructure there.

I think the cohesion fund to centrally finance infrastructure in the EU especially in poorer or disadvantaged regions is one of its successful policies.

[Josquius]

Yep.
Given that and our manufacturing focused economy the north east really does stand to go back to the 80s

[dps]

I think Tyr has a good point that Federal states have advantages.

I agree that Federal states have advantages;  just didn't expect him to realize/acknowledge it.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Blair government did look into the possibility of devolving power to the English regions. A referendum was held (back in 2004) in NE England (an English region with possibly the strongest regional identity). Unfortunately for proponents of federalism the idea was rejected by nearly 80% of the votes :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_East_England_devolution_referendum,_2004

[Josquius]

The Blair government did look into the possibility of devolving power to the English regions. A referendum was held (back in 2004) in NE England (an English region with possibly the strongest regional identity). Unfortunately for proponents of federalism the idea was rejected by nearly 80% of the votes :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_East_England_devolution_referendum,_2004

That whole thing was a complete shambles. The only campaigning I remember was a giant inflatable rat that represented southerners.
.. Right.
Plus it came before the advantages of Scotland and London devolution could be seen.
At the same time I recall there was also a vote on rearranging local government borders which also failed... But was done anyway.

More recently devolution is sort of happening with city regions but its messy and haphazard. In the north east gateshead iirc proved the spoiler (which is odd. Usually its Sunderland) so it's planned for some silly north of Tyne region, despite gateshead being 2 minutes walk across the bridge from Newcastle and Berwick being a hour by train away.

[Admiral Yi]

The only campaigning I remember was a giant inflatable rat that represented southerners.

What did you make it out of?

[garbon]

So, Corbyn lost out and Labour voted to adopt the full IHRA definition on anti-semitism.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/sep/05/labour-votes-full-antisemitism-ihra-terms-party-standing-orders