UK and the West Lothian Question – What’s the solution?

[Kal'thzar]

I'm intrested in Keeping the UK whole.

That said, I also beleive that England needs a Parliment of its own, and the problems that this presents (with respect to different parties controlling different "state" parliments conflicting with the party in control of the national Parliment) would need to be solved as well.

Someone proposes that they can solve that, I'll listen to them. (not to say I'd vote for them per sae, but I WOULD listen )

 

[EdwardTking]

As an Englishman I see this as an imaginary problem.

If absolutely necessary and if it becomes an issue, the
Speaker could be asked to advise MPs that the Scots and
Welsh MPs should abstain from purely english votes.

Although I am tempted to declare English independence,
return Tony Blair ang Gordon Brown and re-build Hadrain's wall.

Only problem is I have some uncertainty as to the destination,
do we deport the Tony Blair to Scotland or to Texas ??

 

[CurtSibling]

I dont wear a skir... ah forget it, you take orders from us atm, lets have this discussion when you don't and not before

Heh!

Big words can be given behind the safety of the internet, eh?
Come to Glasgow and say it to my face, and see how you fare!

We Scots all know this Sassanach jingoism is just a passing summer phase...
We understand how the World Cup is whipping up English fantasies of global relevance just now.

 

[CurtSibling]

As an Englishman I see this as an imaginary problem.

If absolutely necessary and if it becomes an issue, the
Speaker could be asked to advise MPs that the Scots and
Welsh MPs should abstain from purely english votes.

Although I am tempted to declare English independence,
return Tony Blair ang Gordon Brown and re-build Hadrain's wall.

Only problem is I have some uncertainty as to the destination,
do we deport the Tony Blair to Scotland or to Texas ??

You can keep Tony Blair and Brown, have them on the house.

And we could keep the oil from the North sea too...

 

[Masquerouge]

I would suggest that all these pseudo-country-wannabes stop whining and start to realize that no one cares if the Scots, the Wales, or the Brits are one independant nation. The United Kingdom it is, and if they do not realize that left alone they would sink to the bottom of the pit, too bad.

I mean how long can you preserve the Middle-Ages?

 

[CurtSibling]

I would suggest that all these pseudo-country-wannabes stop whining and start to realize that no one cares if the Scots, the Wales, or the Brits are one independant nation. The United Kingdom it is, and if they do not realize that left alone they would sink to the bottom of the pit, too bad.

I mean how long can you preserve the Middle-Ages?

Aren't you French?

If so, you are a fine one to go on about outdated governance.

With your creaking colonial republic.

 

[.Shane.]

I mean how long can you preserve the Middle-Ages?

Its more like a reinvention. There's a brilliant book, The Invention of Tradition, by Hobsbawn and Ranger. Essentially, they find that rising literacy through the Renaissance and Enlightenment helped awaken nationalistic instincts. In turn, this lead many nationalists to invent traditions, etc.... to give their nascent movements a sense of history.

There's a great chapter about the Scots and the whole thing w/ kilts, etc... and how its all just a creation.

A lot of the book focuses on England, Scotland, Wales, etc... so it may be an informative or interesting read for some of you.

/shrug.

Imagined Communities, by Benedict Anderson is a similar study, but is much broader than the British Isles.

 

[Masquerouge]

Aren't you French?

If so, you are a fine one to go on about outdated governance.

With your creaking colonial republic.

Ah yeah, one good thing about the Scots is that they hate the Brits
France and Scotland even once were allies just to kick some Brit behind

 

[CurtSibling]

Oddly, even though I am a Scot - I still consider myself a Brit to the rest of the world.

But old alliances are worth celebrating...Vive la France!

 

[Truronian]

I personally don't consider myself English. Cornwall was a Celtic land and as such I consider myself Cornish. In the real world I generally put myself down as British though.

 

[Sidhe]

I personally don't consider myself English. Cornwall was a Celtic land and as such I consider myself Cornish. In the real world I generally put myself down as British though.

On St Patricks day I put myself down as celtic, so as to claim kinship with the Irish, I somewhat know what you mean although my case is even more out there

Oh and My grandmother was from Irish stock too.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

On St Patricks day I put myself down as celtic, so as to claim kinship with the Irish, I somewhat know what you mean although my case is even more out there

Oh and My grandmother was from Irish stock too.

Ahh St. Patricks Day.

The one day of the year we suddenly forget the Irish bombed the **** out of us for a decade or so and we all drink Guiness. I've never gone out "celebrating" on St. Patricks Day. I don't celebrate July 4th, how is Paddy's Day any different?

 

[Mega Tsunami]

Hot off the press – A question to Blair in PMQs today:

If Westminster decides to go ahead with a new Nuclear power plant building policy (to build new ones on current Nuke sites), it will be up to the Scottish Parliament to give the go-ahead for all those plants that exist in Scotland today.

What a joke! I assume go-ahead will be forthcoming as the request is due to come from Labour but I suspect the answer would be “Up yours, Jimmy” if the Tories were in power in the UK.
Ignoring the rights and wrongs of Nukes, it is just another matter which is making the UK ungovernable.