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| Subject: English independence... | |
Author: Ed Harris (Venezia) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 12:40:14 10/22/04 Fri In reply to: Jim (Canada) 's message, "Questions to the Scots here" on 22:01:35 10/21/04 Thu Paddy: how could independence turn Scotland into a sort of northern Switzerland unless it were also accompanied by withdrawwal from the Common Market, which has wiped out the Scottish fishing industry and, as elsewhere in the EC, strangled enterprise with its Euro-corporatist redtape? I don't live in Scotland, and so have never really got involved in the independence 'pros and cons' - although as a British patriot I'm instinctively against it! Could you clarify this point for me? I would also like to say that the Welsh and Scots, and to a lesser extent the Ulstermen, seem to take for granted that England is 100% Unionist. Quite simply, it is not. In the South, where I live, people tend to call themselves British, but in the more remote provinces, such as Shropshire, where my parents now live (for some peculiar reason of their own), they almost invariably say 'English'. These are the areas where St George's cross has never been replaced by the Jack, where the Campaign for an English parliament is strongest, where outrage is strongest when the BBC shows people in Edinburgh pubs cheering when France a try against England, and where the West Lothian question causes them to froth at the mouth and start mutinous talk about blood in the streets. "Smile at us, pay us pass us, but never quite forget, That we are the people of England, and have not spoken yet." When the English do lose their temper, the world will know about it. I passionately hope that we get rid of this government in time to save the Union from Celtic separatism and English frustration. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: the West Lothian question | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:26:52 10/22/04 Fri "What is it?" [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Answer | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:40:29 10/22/04 Fri The original question was posed by Scottish Labour MP Tam Dalyell, whose constituency used to be called West Lothian. The essential point is this: How can it could be right that a Scottish MP at Westminster can vote on matters only affecting English seats, but that same MP could not vote on such matters affecting his own constituency because they are devolved issues, in which the Scottish Parliament has authority. The question is well-known, but we have yet to hear an answer. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: ah, *that* West Lothian question | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:59:06 10/22/04 Fri I tend to think that Jim's answer is a good one. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: True federation is the answer | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 15:51:23 10/22/04 Fri [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Indeed, but... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:00:22 10/22/04 Fri A true federal system would indeed resolve the issue. Unfortunately, this is not being offered. In fact the Government are campaigning as we speak on a referendum to create more devolution in England. At last, an English Parliament I hear you say? Well no, they want to fragment and regionalise England, and the referendum shortly is to create an Assembly for the North-East. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> Subject: If the North East sees itself as a region and wants to govern itself, fine | |
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Author: Ian (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 16:05:19 10/22/04 Fri But the same opportunity should be available to all self-defined regions [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: England becoming "independent" of Scotland is like the USA becoming "independent" of Puerto Rico! NT | |
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Author: misnomer! [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 10:52:03 11/02/04 Tue [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Yes, Ed | |
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Author: Paddy (Scotland) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 19:10:58 10/22/04 Fri It could not. Perhaps if I re-phrase my closing paragraph thus: "Independence in theory could turn Scotland into an economic Switzerland, a small, extremely rich nation truely in charge of it's own economic descisions; ever able, because of her small size, to gain economic advantage over her neighbour, the E.U. Howewver, the truth is that the SNP offers exactly the opposite of this vision and so for the present have practically no chance of reaching power." At the moment there are no economic or political advantages on offer from the SNP. Also many people who vote SNP only do so for tactical reasons and would never vote yes to independence in any referendum. I hope that this is a little clearer. Paddy [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |