Sir Tam is very much alive and was interviewed at length on the BBC this evening, citing classical literature and arguing for the abolition of the Scottish Parliament! Although he's obviously not as sharp as he once was, you've got to admire him for plugging away at his point until the constitution gets changed. The interviewer was almost in tears of affection by the end.Dearie me! I've just found out this West Lothian question dates back to 1977, and Tam Dalyell (NB /dil/ just to confuse you).
That's a very long time to wait for a reply to a question. (I think Tam has died in the meantime.)
Westminster rushed into action with typical aplomb. And by 2011 had decided to set up a Commission to look into the question.
Because it's their future. I'd say they have at least as much to vote on it than some octogenarian who isn't going to survive to live with the consequences.
I agree with your sentiment here, but are 16-17 year olds really educated enough to make an informed decision about the future of an entire nation? And when I say educated, I'm not just talking about schooling; I mean things like life experience as well.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/scotland/referendum/article4211236.eceFighting broke out and a Union Jack was set alight in the centre of Glasgow last night as the tense atmosphere between groups of Yes and No supporters spilled over into violence.
A small group of skinhead, pro- Union Scots were booed and chased out of George Square, which had become a focal point for independence supporters. Chants of “Rule Britannia” were drowned out by a roar of “Freedom” and “Brits out” from Yes campaigners as punches were thrown.
Oh there was more to it than just that:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/19/scottish-independence-glasgow-riots_n_5851212.html?1411154263
Unionists were singing "Rule Brittania," burning Scottish flags, and flashing Nazi salutes in George Square. See the videos in the link. Some of my friends in Glasgow reported groups of Unionists running down the streets around the city chanting and generally being gigantic jerks.
I notice they report shouts of "Brits out", but not the shouts of "No surrender".Pangur Bán;13463272 said:A small group of skinhead, pro- Union Scots were booed and chased out of George Square, which had become a focal point for independence supporters. Chants of “Rule Britannia” were drowned out by a roar of “Freedom” and “Brits out” from Yes campaigners as punches were thrown.
I notice they report shouts of "Brits out", but not the shouts of "No surrender".
Guess they only want the analogy to work one way.
Why are you paying Murdoch money to read it then?Pangur Bán;13463272 said:British media still up to their old dirty self-serving lying:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/scotland/referendum/article4211236.ece
If you've been following this on social media, you'll get an of how cynical that report is.
The CPGB-ML are a weird bunch. D'you know they're not even related to the old CPGB? They were a faction within Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party who left because Scargill refused to issue declarations of support North Korea, and just started claiming to be the Communist Party.Strangely enough, the CPGB-ML also opposed independence and there are idiots posting about how Scotland's not really a nation anyway. Strange bedfellows British "leftists" keep...
The worst in all this is that the tone of (i assume primarily) anti-independence media and assorted (and more local) ills seem to now have divided Scotland more.
But a division roughly on a 50-50 basis is a horrible situation.
Pangur Bán;13463282 said:We've been following it on this thread. That's the point, the Times report is an illustration of what cynical tendentious manipulative liars the British press are.