Scotland and the referendum saga
Alex Salmond has now deigned to comment on David Cameron‘s intervention in the referendum saga.
And he’s signalled it’s full (slow) speed ahead with his existing plans. The SNP government’s cabinet will sign off on plans today for the later, probably two-question referendum it always wanted – some more detail on the plans will be shared in the next two weeks.
I suspect Alex Salmond will announce no referendum before 2013 is out, or something like that. It would allow him to make Mr Cameron’s talk of an earlier referendum (i.e. – must be in 2012 – a plan discussed in the coalition but never meant to be part of this week’s presentation) look a little petty. What’s in a year?
The coalition will say uncertainty remains bad for business. The SNP will say they’ve done a lot to sort out the uncertainty. Who will win that debate?
As the referendums expert Marr Qvortrop said on C4N last night the track record of mother countries trying to affect the pace and content of separatist referenda isn’t great. But supporters of the coalition strategy, including Labour figures I’ve spoken to, think yesterday will have served a purpose anyway because it woke people up to the SNP plans and motives.
The Scottish secretary shares a bit more light on the coalition approach this afternoon in the Commons. Will he challenge the voter age change (qualifying voting age down to 16) the SNP plans to bring in? How will he handle the time-limited “lending” of referendum powers to Scotland by Westminster without making it sound like a deadline?
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There are 2 comments on this post
OK – let’s be logical. The Union is a union of equal partners is it not, and England does not “own” it, legally or otherwise, no?? Therefore, if England suddenly decided to quit the Union, where would Cameron’s so-called “legal” argument then stand. Who would have the legal right to call a referendum? – Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland, one would presume?
As an Englishman who has lived in Scotland for over 30 years and seen it continually dumped on by the English (poll tax experiment probably the most obvious example) I really think the London government should keep out of Scottish affairs – the Scots are far more aware of what is socially, politically and legally just than anything I have seen coming out of Westminster and are much better able to decide what is in the interests of Scotland.
As a youngster I grew up in the North East of England which was a deeply deprived region at the time. Government by the South in Westminster has done it no good for decades and it is now an even greater disaster area than before.
I am quite sure the canny Scots will see through Cameron’s game and will be sensible enough to decide between Indy Max or Indy Full in their…
The crux of the matter is that the Tories look like running the show at Westminster for the forseeable future. They will stitch up the LibDems and Labour are of course rudderless and toxic both sides of the border. Why any Englishman tolerates underemployed Scottish MPs poking their noses into English business on a daily basis is a mystery to me, toleration has its limits, even in a people noted for their tolerance!
The next general election will see Scotland Tory-free with two token LibDems, same number as the Edinburgh pandas but without the intelligence.
It’s quite illogical, whatever our glorious shared past, to expect any sensible Scot to accept this Tory future and vote to remain in the Union.