Scottish Independence Referendum 2014

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Will Cameron take a page from Chretien and introduce a "Clarity Act" to move the goalposts or is that too risky?

For the record, at this moment in time I'm leaning towards a 'Yes' vote.

Find that interesting considering you're a Tory, but I guess it's not my place. How come, if you don't me asking?

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Read something (well, scan read) that said that the LibDems were going to proposed 'Home Rule' (whatever that means) for Scotland, maybe. Insert one of Dennis Potter's favourite jokes here.

It's alright the LibDems coming up with stupid ideas in opposition, but in government? Stupid's just stupid.

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And Salmond's wanting a leading question: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independant country?"

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Has to be said that everytime Dave opens his mouth about this, it must be gaining 'Yes' quite a few votes. It's not like he's Jean Chretien.

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I'm slightly paraphrasing, but here is an article from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16749576

headline - Teddy was right: Lord Empey

The former Northern Ireland Executive minister was speaking during a debate in the House of Lords about the Scotland Bill, when he said that "Teddy's claim that Scottish moves would have a greater impact on Northern Ireland than it would on England or Wales is 100% accurate. People in Northern Ireland would have a foreign country on one side of us and a foreign country on the other side of us We would end up like West Pakistan. We are all hewn from the same rock. Just imagine the situation we would be placed in."

Northern Ireland is totally like West Pakistan.

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Northern Irish politicians are... strange.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/29/alex-salmond-says-uk-maintained-independence-queen_n_1239859.html?ref=uk

What?

And btw, I read an article by a pollster that if his firm used Salmond's "Do you agree...?" question, they'd get panned for it. So true. It's basic Year 10 GCSE Maths that "Do you agree" will give an unfair outcome.

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Yeah, so they'd have a Governor-General and everything basically?

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I think it's more likely that a post-independence SNP would very quickly slide into being a Party of Business with all that that tends to imply.

It sort of has already, though it's political suicide to openly boast about it (Labour too keep quiet)

The Conservatives might linger on for a while, either as a party of United Empire Loyalists or just as a more bourgeois alternative to the SNP - but not both. The LDs' time in Scottish history will probably be over within a term of a successful independence referendum. I'd expect a stable Labour-SNP two-party system.

Independence is in my view the only way for a Conservative Party revival. Of course, the party that organised wouldn't be the Tories; they would need to dissolve and form a right of centre party with the remnant Liberals and some SNP defections. I can't see the need for a Lib Dem party but I would consider that the Greens would remain and probably strengthen.

If they keep AMS (or even move to a list system) the parties would massively fracture - Europe style.

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Good point about the Greens, I suppose.

The Greens are well placed to appeal to the 'bourgeois left' should the Lib Dems vacate the scene



I had forgot to post this. This is of course the council results for 2007 for the Greens where they stood. Strong results in the well to do areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh (and not just students) likwise in Fife, places like Dunblane, North Berwick, Strathaven, Lanark etc

The Libs still appeal to the bourgeois left?

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http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/31/peter-cruddas-scottish-independence_n_1393744.html?ref=uk

Just lovely.