! This post hasn't been updated in over a year. A lot can change in a year including my opinion and the amount of naughty words I use. There's a good chance that there's something in what's written below that someone will find objectionable. That's fine, if I tried to please everybody all of the time then I'd be a Lib Dem (remember them?) and I'm certainly not one of those. The point is, I'm not the kind of person to try and alter history in case I said something in the past that someone can use against me in the future but just remember that the person I was then isn't the person I am now nor the person I'll be in a year's time.
Alex Salmond has come to an agreement with the Greens in Scotland to become the first Scottish nationalist First Minister.
This is good news for those who would gladly see tha back of Scotland but don’t get too enthusiastic – the SNP will be forming a minority administration and any attempt to hold an independence referendum is likely to be defeated by the eurofederalist Lib Dums and the Liebour facists.
There is a convention in the British parliament that manifesto pledges will travel through parliament unopposed. Lets hope that “No Mandate” Brown’s leadership manifesto pledges (which only apply to England anyway) are given the same rough ride that the SNP will be getting on their manifesto pledges. What’s good for the goos and all that.
Hi Wonko
when you say you would gladly see tha back of Scotland – ca you estimate how much revenue you’d lose from N Sea Oil?
Gus
http://1820.org.uk
North sea oil and gas revenues are £7.3bn per year.
The subsidy paid to Scotland is £11.3bn per year.
Please also bear in mind that not all the north sea oil and gas that Scotland claims is rightly theirs. The British government moved the maritime border without asking the electorate and in defiance of international maritime law which says that a maritime border is an extension of the land border. If you search back through my blog you’ll find various posts on the subject.
Even if we didn’t get our oil and gas back we’d still be £4.3bn better off just by stopping the Scottish subsidy.
For the sake of balance, we must not forget my party, the Conservatives.
The SNP will get noting done.
They would destroy the UK, destroying England, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland etc…
We should have a referendum on independence asap, as it will be rejected, thus silencing and putting down the question of independence, so ensuring the preservation of the uinon.
All people wanting the breakup of the union are deluded. They are too short termist. We are better united than seperate, we are stronger as one than as two (or more specifically 4 different states).
Calum, they would destroy the union but why would they destroy Wales, NI or England?
Why would a referendum be rejected? Because the SNP didn’t get a majority? An election isn’t a very good indication of the potential outcome of a referendum on a single issue. Most people are opposed to membership of the EU but they didn’t vote for eurosceptic parties at the election. Most people are in favour of an English Parliament but they didn’t vote for English nationalist parties at the election.
Finally, why are we better united and stronger together? I’m serious, please tell me. This is the same cheap throwaway statement that is always thrown about in any discussion about nationalism. What are the benefits of the union to England and why would ditching the yolk that is the union make England weaker?
People, people, people, you are forgetting that absolutely EVERYTHING you are told is weighted with heavy bias and spin. We cannot truly know what will happen with Scotland being independent until it happens. Certainly I know a number of very rich people who will move back to Scotland if it becomes independent. But how can the SNP destroy Wales and NI, get a grip, how thick are you?
Regardless of your political views, you can’t argue that Alex Salmond will be an excellent First Minister. He is an extremely intelligent and astute man who genuinely cares about people. Not something we benefited from with Jack McConnell. The British government has made Scotland suffer for years as guinea pigs for everything under the sun. English people completely forget that Scotland’s current economic state owes a LOT to having been guinea pigs for the poll tax, something that was thrust upon us by an English person, and caused us no end of financial problems. There have been serious longlasting effects from this tax. Also, remember that about 65p a year from each Scot goes towards keeping the English monarchy. Oh, and you forgot that Blair’s government bargained away Scotland’s European money, NOT Englands! Oh yes, we are so subsidised by you English people…yeah right!