The future of the UK.

[pugh-the-special-one]

Great turn out and the true winner will eventually be everyone I'm positive that we in Wales and the whole of the UK will get far greater power because of this election If it didn't happen then we would have remained the same so hat's off to the Scottish people who pushed for this election so that would be the yes campaign.

 

[UKRob]

Who knows what the turn out was overall?

I heard 84% Carl - the predictions of over 80% were pretty accurate.

 

[Andy944]

At least I will still be able to access Corby(little Scotland) without having to get a visa!! for my little sample of back home every now and then!!

 

[Blyth Spirit]

Well thats it, they went for the English taxpayers' continued largesse. Can't blame them.

Now the PM must resolve the West Lothian question by next May but already the socialists and the perfidious Liberals are playing politics wanting their Scotch MPs to remain capable of voting on English issues.

Same old, same old...nothing to see, move on.

This issue is over for me.

:icon_frown:

 

[Doggycam]

I'm disappointed, but the majority have spoken, and I respect that.

British politics needs to change and I hope we Scots have stirred it up and given the rUk food for thought.

"the times they are a changin".....................................................I hope

 

[Bechet]

I'm disappointed, but the majority have spoken, and I respect that.

British politics needs to change and I hope we Scots have stirred it up and given the rUk food for thought.

The majority of the 84% who bothered their arses to vote have spoken "No". Meaning 16% said nothing.

The first change in British politics needs to be mandatory voting, with an "Abstain" choice on every voting slip.

Next change needs to be that wannabe MPs must have at least five years work experience, taking home a working persons wage/salary.

Another change I'd like to see would be a requirement that a wannabe MP has a coal miner, steelworker, farm labourer, ship builder within two generations in his/her ancestry.

House of Lords fully elected; Church of England dis-established; Lothian Question answered in favour of the English; devolution of oh! so many powers to the regions; no coalition Governments - run as a Minority Government if you can. For starters!

But it's back to broken and unfulfillled promises again now and business as usual.

 

[UKRob]

Carl, I'll bet it's not hard to tell the difference between you and a ray of sunshine at times.

 

[Gordy]

I'm really pleased Scotland is staying part of this Union. I'm proud of to be part of any Union with Scotland in it!

 

[chrisbell]

British politics needs to change and I hope we Scots have stirred it up and given the rUk food for thought.

"the times they are a changin".....................................................I hope

Sorry old chap, that won't happen. Whether Tory or Labour, the Westminster parties are run by lobbyists and pressure from an English electorate who won't let their MPs get away with supporting further powers for Scotland even if the West Lothian question is resolved in England's favour.

What you might not appreciate from your vantage point in Scotland is how deeply conservative most of England is, both in terms of wanting to maintain the status quo and voting Tory. Take South Norfolk, the constituency in which I live - we're not the wealthiest area, but there are enough well-off arable farmers and Little Englanders to see us comfortably return Tory MPs at every General Election, with UKIP taking-over second place from the Lib Dems, Labour being nowhere, and Green voters being about as commonplace as hen's teeth. Cameron won't dare actually keep his pledges for greater devolved power as he has nothing to lose in Scotland - he has no need to do anything the Scots like, as it's England that votes in Tory governments, and it's those in the conservative Shires who would punish him next May should he have the temerity to offer anything to Scotland.

In addition, I'd be amazed if anti-Scottish sentiment in England didn't dramatically increase given that the vote was relatively close. That English Tory-voting majority tends to be fiercely proud of the UK, in part because they know their votes provide a majority of English MPs with the authority to run it according to their ideology given the weight of numbers in the consituent nations and the amount of tax raised on those populations. I would be surprised if the fact that 44.7% of Scots had the temerity to vote for independence didn't cause much annoyance amongst the G&T drinkers of the stockbroker belt and the Shires.

I'd like to point out that I don't agree with the viewpoints I've mentioned; I'm just pointing-out from the perspective of someone from a very Tory part of England that there will be huge pressure on the Tories (and a fair bit on Labour as well) to make a show of doing something for Scotland while actually doing the square root of sweet FA.

 

[Doggycam]

I'm disappointed, but the majority have spoken, and I respect that.

British politics needs to change and I hope we Scots have stirred it up and given the rUk food for thought.

The majority of the 84% who bothered their arses to vote have spoken "No". Meaning 16% said nothing.

The first change in British politics needs to be mandatory voting, with an "Abstain" choice on every voting slip.

Next change needs to be that wannabe MPs must have at least five years work experience, taking home a working persons wage/salary.

Another change I'd like to see would be a requirement that a wannabe MP has a coal miner, steelworker, farm labourer, ship builder within two generations in his/her ancestry.

House of Lords fully elected; Church of England dis-established; Lothian Question answered in favour of the English; devolution of oh! so many powers to the regions; no coalition Governments - run as a Minority Government if you can. For starters!

But it's back to broken and unfulfillled promises again now and business as usual.

I can agree with a lot of that Carl.
Career politicians are anathema and shouldn't be allowed.
Might as well get rid of House of Lords, no point in having 2 house of commons.

A wise old friend of mine said anyone who wants to be a politician shouldn't be allowed to stand !

16% not voting on an issue as important as this is scandalous.

In saying that look at the growing disinterest in politics.

General election turnout by region
Year UKEngland Wales Scotland N.Ireland
2010 65.1 65.5 64.7 63.8 57.6
2005 61.4 61.3 62.6 60.8 62.9
2001 59.4 59.2 61.6 58.2 68
1997 71.4 71.4 73.5 71.3 67.1
1992 77.7 78 79.7 75.5 69.8
1987 75.3 75.4 78.9 75.1 67
1983 72.7 72.5 76.1 72.7 72.9
1979 76 75.9 79.4 76.8 67.7
1974 72.8 72.6 76.6 74.8 67.7
1974 78.8 79 80 79 69.9

To me theres hardly any difference in the 3 main parties.
UKIP is continuing to grow, which in itself is a reflection of peoples disillusion in UK politics as its the only party not singing off the same hymn sheet. Not that I'd ever support them.

 

[chrisbell]

16% not voting on an issue as important as this is scandalous.

I'm inclined to agree with you in principle, though I think, given the data you present on the growing apathy generally in the UK, that an 85% turnout is very impressive - I wonder if you're not being a touch harsh on your fellow Scots, though, after reports of 97% of eligible voter applying for voting cards, 85% actually voting does seem rather modest.

 

[Doggycam]

Sorry old chap, that won't happen. Whether Tory or Labour, the Westminster parties are run by lobbyists and pressure from an English electorate who won't let their MPs get away with supporting further powers for Scotland even if the West Lothian question is resolved in England's favour.

What you might not appreciate from your vantage point in Scotland is how deeply conservative most of England is, both in terms of wanting to maintain the status quo and voting Tory. Take South Norfolk, the constituency in which I live - we're not the wealthiest area, but there are enough well-off arable farmers and Little Englanders to see us comfortably return Tory MPs at every General Election, with UKIP taking-over second place from the Lib Dems, Labour being nowhere, and Green voters being about as commonplace as hen's teeth. Cameron won't dare actually keep his pledges for greater devolved power as he has nothing to lose in Scotland - he has no need to do anything the Scots like, as it's England that votes in Tory governments, and it's those in the conservative Shires who would punish him next May should he have the temerity to offer anything to Scotland.

In addition, I'd be amazed if anti-Scottish sentiment in England didn't dramatically increase given that the vote was relatively close. That English Tory-voting majority tends to be fiercely proud of the UK, in part because they know their votes provide a majority of English MPs with the authority to run it according to their ideology given the weight of numbers in the consituent nations and the amount of tax raised on those populations. I would be surprised if the fact that 44.7% of Scots had the temerity to vote for independence didn't cause much annoyance amongst the G&T drinkers of the stockbroker belt and the Shires.

I'd like to point out that I don't agree with the viewpoints I've mentioned; I'm just pointing-out from the perspective of someone from a very Tory part of England that there will be huge pressure on the Tories (and a fair bit on Labour as well) to make a show of doing something for Scotland while actually doing the square root of sweet FA.

I like your post Chris )

These are exactly the reasons I voted Yes !

I lived in London for 17 years and whilst there could not believe the amount of people who voted tory due to delusions of being middle class. Also the lack of interest in ANYTHING North of Watford.

 

[UKRob]

Can we have a sub-forum for the anti-monarchists, nationalists, separatists, marxists, anarchists, whingeing and generally bitter and twisted?

@Doggycam - you don't have any tory MPs in Scotland - WTF are you moaning about?

 

[Doggycam]

@ UkRob
You don't have to read any posts here.
You're one of the few doing the whingeing.

 

[JohnnyO]

Purely as a matter of information, is David Mundell MP not a conservative ? I believe he still represents the Dumfriesshire area.

JohnnyO. :icon_razz:/

 

[Ben88]

Next change needs to be that wannabe MPs must have at least five years work experience, taking home a working persons wage/salary.

Another change I'd like to see would be a requirement that a wannabe MP has a coal miner, steelworker, farm labourer, ship builder within two generations in his/her ancestry.

Church of England dis-established

1. Very doubtful, no matter what party are in charge (Labour, Tory etc) it's more about who you are, where you went to school. It has been for a long time and I'm afraid it will remain that way for quite a while yet I'm sure.

2. Even less likely than your first point.

3. I'm assuming you are in no way religious? Christianity has always played a big part in this country and whether you like it or not that will continue. The suggestion of this I find ludicrous.

However, I appreciate that we are all entitled to our own views on such things.