Scottish independence may not be a likely outcome of this election, not least since, as Fair Deal has noted, the Scottish Nats seem to be soft pedalling that option this time out so as not to frighten the Scotland’s majority unionist horses. But Mark Devenport asks: what if Scotland were to leave the Union? Where would that leave Northern Ireland?
I’ve been catching up on some reading, recently. Most pleasantly surprised by John Drennan’s latest opus from Gill and Macmillan, Cute Hoors and Pious Protestors… It’s early days yet, but I was struck by this paragraph, part of a dissection of Fianna Fail near the beginning: One of the more fatal consequences of our colonial [...] read our review »
If you want to get a flavour of the proceedings at the Political Studies Association conference on its opening day, then the Storify collation below will bring you some of the images, tweets and sounds of the day. Particular highlights included: the Opening Plenary with David Blunkett, Peter Riddell and Matthew Flinders; and the late [...] read our review »
It’s not published until 3rd March, but one book I recommend you place an advance order for from Slugger’s Bookstore is James Harkin’s Niche. Belfast émigré Harkin examines a number of stories from business, culture and politics and comes to a single insight: everywhere the broad middle is collapsing. He offers Woolworths as an iconic exemplar [...] read our review »
“Some of the greatest enthusiasts for dumping the Union are Surrey stockbrokers and golfers, looking for their tax cuts.”
Indeed, so are the nurses, bus drivers, builders, bank workers, students and most other people in England who don’t live in the Westminster bubble. If the British government were inclined to actually ask the English people what they wanted for a change and there was a referendum on independence tomorrow, England would be out of the UK and the EU by saturday.
Errm, actually there was a referendum on membership of the (then) EEC. 64.5% of the UK, 61.7% of Scots, and even 52.1% of NI voters said “Yes”. Why should we keep doing it again and again “tomorrow” as Phil (May 02, 2007 @ 06:05 PM) and his ilk demand?
Perhaps Phil will now point to a couple of reputable polls (i.e. not sponsored by partial pressure groups) which
[1] show such a mass wish to sacrifice jobs and investment?
Should he throw in the Sunday Excess poll last weekend, he should note that yes/no issue was: “a looser relationship with Europe, maintaining free trade and cooperation on common policies, but opting out of political and economic integration”. So:
[2] How does such a semi-detached, all-gain, no-pay arrangement achieve gleeful assent from the other 26 members of the Union?
When the EU is offering to cough mega-Euros to NI, I doubt he will find too many turkeys clamoring for early Christmas in the “Stormont bubble” either.
Malcolm,
You didn’t mention the percentage of English people who voted for continued EEC membership in 1973, besides the “common market” that was sold to us back then is a very different beast to todays EU as you well know.If you genuinely believe that if a referendum were to be held in England tomorrow with the question “Should England remain a member of the UK and the EU or declare independence from one or both” then bring it on! I am quite confident that there would be a huge vote in favour of independence from both in spite of pro-UK and pro-EU spin from the ConLabLibDem establishment.
Thank you, Phil (on May 02, 2007 @ 08:28 PM).
You make one of my repeated points eloquently:
Should England remain a member of the UK?
Resounding (phonetic) response from the ignoramuses who make up the hoi polloi of Sun readership: “If it means screwing those Scots, Welsh and Irish grasping bastards, Norfolk enchants!”
The second one is the difference between us:
Should England remain a member of … EU?
Now the response is: “Well, actually, my firm has been bought out by the Spanish /Germans /Transylvanians /whatever, and I’ve got a mortgage [with a Spanish /German /Transylvanian /whatever owned bank], so ….”
Put that up as a referendum question, with all major political parties shrieking “Aaaargh!”, and expect the inevitable. Even UKIP dare not put it in those definite terms (see my previous point about the Sunday Excess poll).