Sleekit Tories

[rich47]

The tory government has revealed, in glorious technicolour, its true colours when it comes to devolution.
They never believed in it and now are working hard to reverse it. Smug Rees Mogg, odious Boris,
creepy Gove and their pals are all coming out with factually inaccurate statements about Scotland's position within this failing union. Scotland is a nation, not a region nor a district and the existence of the border is enshrined in statutes. The shambles post covid will be as nought compared with the disaster that will be brexit. God help us all.

[bednobs]

"They never believed in it and now are working hard to reverse it."
good, because neither do I (although i'm not a fan of either main parties either)

[naomi24]

I should move if I were you, rich.

[youngmafbog]

Lefty alert. Another 4.5 years at least so suck it up.

Give the vote to the English. Lets get shot of Scotland.

[douglas9401]

Hardly offensive at all bog, keep up the good work.

[bednobs]

ps I don't think its a shock that they don't like it is it?

[New Judge]

//Scotland is a nation, not a region nor a district...//

Not according to the United Nations or the EU it isn't. (Having said that, the rest of the UK only falls into one of nine "regions" as far as the EU is concerned).

The difficulty with the England:Scotland Union is that Scotland has never fully embraced it. Insisting on running its own legal system, for example, demonstrates that. If they want out they should leave, but the majority voted against that a few years ago so since they decided to stay they should work to homogenise the Union, not insist on different conditions for a small part of the same country.

I never believed in devolution. I believe it has been a huge mistake and detrimental to the minor nations. It has also cost the English taxpayer dearly and has achieved no particular purpose other than to emphasise division and rancour.

Though a totally different example, the situation in Hong Kong demonstrates why separation whilst staying together (which is essentially what devolution is) cannot work. Hong Kong is now part of China. If I was Chinese living in a place other than HK I would be tempted to ask why Hong Kongers can continue to enjoy the freedoms that I could only dream of more than 20 years since the territory was handed back. The Chinese obviously cannot and will not allow such a situation to prevail and it was stupid to believe that it would.

Back to Scotland, I ask myself why a student from France enjoys a university education at a lower price than those from England - especially when English taxpayers provide the majority of the funding. An example of the division and rancour the ridiculous devolution arrangements promote.

[rich47]

The usual collection of non replies and the twisted logic from the judge. If we are such a problem why fight so hard to keep us within your increasingly incompetent and shambolic dictatorship. The Trump has shown how easy it is to rescind and walk away from a treaty. Bring on English independence, the sooner the better.

[exarmy448]

I have always wondered that if Scotland were to gain their independence what would their demands be on the rest of the union. For example would they want to still have access to our NHS or would they be prepared to set up their own health service without any financial assistant from our Government. Perhaps it is time for those seeking independence to explain to the rest of us just what their demands would be.

[THECORBYLOON]

NJ, what percentage of Scotland's income is provided by English taxpayers?

[royfromaus]

YMB
Give the vote to the English. Lets get shot of Scotland.




I believe you would (as in Scotland) be the minority.

[THECORBYLOON]

"would they want to still have access to our NHS or would they be prepared to set up their own health service without any financial assistant from our Government."

Have you not heard of NHS Scotland?

[Old_Geezer]

Any area is only a country because the world agrees to recognise it as such. And none of the areas that make up the UK is a nation by itself. That's the point of the union.

No; devolution is a disaster, as was known it would be at the time. If it had been agreed that all areas that make up the UK should have the same, limited, powers then that may have worked, depending on where they drew the line. In fact all but one (guess which) was given some form of local control, and they were passed different powers anyway. Whatever they wanted or could get away with. An utter mess.

Politicians getting swayed to pass things that were against the interests of a combined nation, either because they were too weak to stand up to it, or maybe wanted something they were associated with going into the history books. Who knows ? But genies are difficult to get back into their bottle once someone has been daft enough to let them out.

[Old_Geezer]

"why fight so hard to keep us"

Clearly because the union is stronger than the separated island areas. Unsure why that needs to be asked. Only the malcontents with their dream of separation would want to be separate at the cost of being weaker. It's not like the different UK areas don't all have a voice in Westminster. In fact areas can be over-represented on government.

[Peter Pedant]

wivda fwee nations .....sozza
then to show that one is a nation
Nicola S has to disagree - and so the covid regulations are varied. to show she is ruling see?

and so we get long arguments over a mimsy here and a pleat there, and it really all doesnt matter

and I think the electorate nboth sides of the border are aware

[ProfessorMaisie]

Old_Geezer has just given the rationale for remaining in the EU - 'stronger together'.
That only works if the parts can agree on common policy and shared interests. Otherwise we have a state that can be undermined from within - and that's been the case here since the Brexit vote. It could be time we go our separate ways.

[Old_Geezer]

But the difference is size. A nation has to be small enough that everyone knows they have a say, but can not be a acceptable when so large different cultures dictate and override. As such the two situations are not comparable.

[exarmy448]

15.21. Yes I have heard of NHS Scotland but isn't it funded from central Government funds paid for by all UK tax payers? Will NHS Scotland be able to raise sufficient taxes to pay for their own Health Service , along with all other services that they will have to for, without money from the rest of us.
"Scottish Government's £941 million income tax shortfall offset by £737 million increase in UK Government funding" From Gov.uk

[exarmy448]

Think what the rest of the UK could do with the money that could be saved not having to prop up Scotland.

[KARL]

The Union is a union of....... different countries, England is a country, Scotland is a country and Wales is a different country. That is historically, culturally and even politically but, yes, internationally they act and are seen as the single entity of the United Kingdom (synonymous with England to both foreign and English minds). If there were a referendum, vote, with the English involved and not just the Scots, then the likelihood is that independence would be voted down because although support for it has increased in Scotland no such process has taken place in England. Those in England who would vote against independence would do so for much the same reason those (in Scotland) who voted against independence in 2014 - out of sentimentality and fear of change.

[fender62]

the eu have been taking advantage of the uk for years, fishing for example, and the eu ever expanding dream, minus the fact they absorbed poor x soviet coutries..let alone poor greece, who were better with the drachma, who runs the eu, germany and france, and who benefits the most, and who actually listens to the rules set by, britian did..france germany do as they like, legal corruption on a grand scale.