They are so useless at Government (and their powers cover most of the important matters of life save tax raising) that the Scottish people look like they will return a future SNP Parliament in a system that was designed to stop one party domination! Compare that with the Coalition which is so unpopular it looks like it will be replaced by Labour in coalition next year.
The interesting thing is that most people in Scotland seem to be very happy with their government and not at all happy with the Westminster government.
But within a decade IMHO it will be equivalent to a national government either by home rule or independence. There is a a ratchet effect in operation.
I am glad that you admit that your arguments are driven by emotion rather than reason.
All politicians are said to mislead by their opponents. Cameron and Osbourne said that they would bring the economy into balance by 2015- that was misleading!
By next year the Scottish Parliament will also be able to change several other taxes including Air Passenger Duty. They also currently control Council Tax (and have the power to introduce local income tax in its place) and Business rates.
It’s very easy to be happy with a Government that is gladly spending other people’s money, and doesn’t have to make any hard decisions, but can blame them all on Westminster.
As for a Labour coalition, that’s possible. The two realistic options at the moment are Lab/SNP or Con/UKIP, both of which would be disastrous. If either looks like it will happen, I’d hope that a Con/Lab government would happen, so as to shut the nationalists of any stripe out of government, even if that did put on hold the referendum on EU membership.
Some of both, really. Custom limits what she will actually do, and the law provides ways that anything she did do outside of custom could be undone with relative ease, although with massive political fallout. Basically, were it to happen, she would have to be declared incompetent, and the government would almost certainly fall.
Rather than go into any specific details there was many discussions at my work about how both sides were being very misleading.
The No campaign had lots of “economic disaster, third world country” while the Yes campaign had lots of “land of milk and honey”.
My favourite was the leaflets that came through the door saying that we could no longer call the British forces “our boys” :roll eyes: and that we would be living in a foreign country :eek:
We will ignore the fact that the Republic of Ireland is not seen as a foreign country and Scotland would almost certainly been afforded the same status with the British isles.
Anyway, lots of nonsense from both sides, none of it helpful.
If you want to call it municipal ok, but I mean local government given I’m talking about Scotland.
Now in theory yes they are raising their own money but for the last 4 (5?) years they have not been allowed to set the rate and the Scottish Government has been giving each local authority extra money to cover what they may be missing by not raising the rate.
As such they are essentially in a position where they are just getting given a pot of money to work with, some from within the authority (on a rate they have not set) and some directly from central government.
Of course I think a true government should raise as well as spend (I voted Yes so clearly I want the Scottish government to have a lot more power!) but I’m asking if local governments are also “toy”.
As has probably came across I find it offensive to call parts of our government “toy” given what impact they have on peoples lives.
“It is hereby declared that, notwithstanding that the Republic of Ireland is not part of His Majesty’s dominions, the Republic of Ireland is not a foreign country for the purposes of any law in force in any part of the United Kingdom or in any colony, protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory, whether by virtue of a rule of law or of an Act of Parliament or any other enactment or instrument whatsoever, whether passed or made before or after the passing of this Act, and references in any Act of Parliament, other enactment or instrument whatsoever, whether passed or made before or after the passing of this Act, to foreigners, aliens, foreign countries, and foreign or foreign-built ships or aircraft shall be construed accordingly.”
That suggests you want the referendum on EU membership.
Is that because you’d be an ‘Out’ or ‘In’ and want it settled (for the time being).
Not sure why you think Lab/SNP would be disastrous. Do you think a Lab on it’s own would be?
Trying to see where your political sensibilities really lie.
I very slightly lean towards Out, but actually want to be convinced to stay in. But that would involve some sort of explanation of why the UK is a massive net contributor to the EU, but treated like a second class citizen by some of the other major countries.
For the same reason UKIP in government would be disastrous, it would divert attention from real politics to less important nationalist issues. Not entirely unimportant, of course, but a government with the SNP ignoring the results of the referendum and pushing for independence (like our own pjen) would be terrible.
I don’t want a Labour government, and I think it would be a massive step backwards for the UK to elect one now, but a majority elected one at least I could respect. A minority nationalist party - especially one representing only a tiny part of the UK - holding the strings of power would be fundamentally undemocratic, and both the SNP and UKIP want to damage the UK. I’d rather not have the EU referendum than see outright racists in power.
I’m assuming the Lib Dems and the Greens aren’t going to play a major part in the next election, but for me either of them would be preferable to the nationalists.
Oh, and most people I think would consider the Republic of Ireland a foreign country - the practical need for a passport to enter from the mainland UK, and the necessity of changing currency, would make it seem so. This may be an area where legal technicalities and popular perception don’t mesh.
So you’re a typical “middle Englander” then that leans towards the Conservatives.
That’s probably why you will never understand why the SNP want independence.
Which is fine, there are plenty people up here of that mindset (some in my family).
I don’t think (nor would I wish) for the SNP to be lobbying for independence should they be part of a loose coalition with Labour come May. I would imagine they will try to further entrench the devolved powers we have, maybe try and get more and make sure that the policies that are passed are as centre left as possible.
Most SNP haters people forget that the SNP are the only true centre left party left in Scotland, I know lots of people that vote SNP but don’t want independence.
Regarding Eire: since we are talking anecdotally most people I know don’t consider it to be a foreign country and see changing to the euro as nothing more than an inconvenience.
Remember that when we go down south quite often our Scottish banknotes aren’t accepted so we have the hassle of making sure we have Bank of England notes in our wallets before getting the flight to London (and the id that most people use for that flight? - a passport). So up here England and the republic of Ireland are seen as just as “foreign” as each other (i.e. not foreign just different). YMMV.
As a member of the SNP I can assure you we have proper policies and don’t only stand for leaving the Union, unlike UKIP who only seem concerned with leaving the larger Union.
It’s always disappointing when people lump us in the same bracket just because we both want independence from something.
I can understand why some vendors are reluctant, I occasionally come across NI £5 notes and have to double take to see what it actually is.
If you’re not familiar with a note you may not be able to spot a forgery. We’re used to seeing 4 different kinds of £10 notes here, down south only one.
Scotland and Ireland are similar in many ways, it’s that Celtic connection!
I don’t know how often you have been in Scotland but there’s enough differences in language, culture, customs and foodstuffs that every other part of the British isles feels “foreign”. I have two friends that are married to English women and little differences pop up all the time.
(Of course that probably happens when someone from Sunderland marries a cockney)
You can blame Alex Salmond for that. And quite possibly the media, if they only report some of what he says.
As far as I know, it’s illegal to refuse payment with a Scottish or Northern Irish note, so to be honest I don’t understand it. It happened to a friend of mine not long ago, so I ended up swapping his NI £20 and taking it to a supermarket. The manager was called over, and OKed it, which was fine. But someone in any shop needs to know the law, IMO.
That’s what I thought, but it may not quite have been my place to say it!
I’ve not been to Scotland (or Ireland), sadly. Travelling isn’t a real possibility at the moment, but I’d hope to at some point. I’ve been to Wales a few times, and whilst there’s certainly differences there - not least the language at least in the North - it doesn’t seem foreign in the way other countries I’ve been to seem.
I think England especially is famous for the differences in accent and custom over very short distances, let alone over almost the whole length of the country!
I’m English, married to a Scot and lived in Scotland for a decade and Scotland does not feel in any way foreign to me, and never has. Literally every part of the UK has differences in language, culture, customs and foodstuffs. In fact, it would be extraordinary if things like that did not vary across the UK.
Yes. But they are as close to some sort of shared identity as any other two countries in the world. Anyone from either country can settle freely in either country. In the event of any attack on Ireland, the UK would use its forces to help defend them out of necessity and identification even though they are out with NATO. In the banking crisis the UK loaned extra money above the EU requirement because of financial and social links. Many Brits are of Irish descent from the last few generations. Not to mention Terry Wogan and Graham Norton, the transferability of TV programs and films. Going to Ireland is culturally similar to going from England to Scotland. Only a generation ago the majority of the Irish Soccer team had recognisable British accents leading to many jokes- whose anthem is that? Ours I think!
They are a proud separate nation but the culture and history of the two countries is complicated and entwined.
Good for you, my friends that live in England feel like they are in a foreign country.
That’s not a slight, people hear foreign and think ‘bad’ but it’s not that - it just feels sufficiently different to feel like you are in a different country (which you are).
When I’m in different parts of Scotland it doesn’t feel foreign, maybe that’s peculiar to me. I do have friends that say when they are in the western isles they feel like they are in a foreign country though.