UK General Discussion Thread: mayy lmao

[Phony Moderate]

The prevailing mood around Westminster seems to be for power to be devolved to city-States centred in Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool styled along the Greater London model. I would be happy with that, tbh; and I think rural areas could do with simply abolishing district councils entirely, expanding use of parishes in their place, and giving unitaries more power.

Presumably if, say, a Liverpool Assembly came into being then the Liverpool mayoral election would attract more 'characters' (as the London one does) - you'd probably see the likes of Derek Hatton, Ricky Tomlinson and one or two Liverpool/Everton footballers throwing their hats into the ring.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Russia was only 51% of the USSR? Wow, I expected a much higher figure.

[Clyde1998]

Russia was only 51% of the USSR? Wow, I expected a much higher figure.

The USSR was a union of around 15 countries - which might explain why it feels much higher.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Perhaps a better comparison would have been Prussia in Weimar Germany.

[Clyde1998]

Perhaps a better comparison would have been Prussia in Weimar Germany.

Even that was only 62% - but I think the article was looking at more modern examples. Serbia and Montenegro would be the most modern, though, with around 90% of the population being in Serbia.

[Phony Moderate]

Another little known Labour peer has resigned the whip. This one has the hilariously unfortunate name of Lord Grabiner.

[ChrisDR68]

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This is an interesting point - the main reason why the UK has survived so far is that English national identity wasn't that strong. British national identity was much stronger in the past - holding the country together - and it's fading away.

If English nationalism is on the rise it's probably in part a reaction against the perceived rise in Scottish nationalism north of the border. England itself (in my view anyway) doesn't feel like an especially homogeneous place with the south feeling very different to the north both politically and culturally with the midlands sitting rather uncomfortably inbetween the two.

[Clyde1998]

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This is an interesting point - the main reason why the UK has survived so far is that English national identity wasn't that strong. British national identity was much stronger in the past - holding the country together - and it's fading away.

If English nationalism is on the rise it's probably in part a reaction against the perceived rise in Scottish nationalism north of the border. England itself (in my view anyway) doesn't feel like an especially homogeneous place with the south feeling very different to the north both politically and culturally with the midlands sitting rather uncomfortably inbetween the two.

I live in the South of England - it's pretty clear that people down here don't understand Scotland or the North of England very well. If feel that politics and culture in the UK is centred around the South and particularly London - which may explain the divide.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Lord Grabiner, the leader of Clare College, resigns the Labour whip.

Simon Danczuk claims he may act as a stalking horse if labour perform badly in the May locals/pCC's/assembly elections

[YL]

David Willetts says the Tories are failing the young

It perhaps should be pointed out that he was the minister responsible for introducing £9000 per year university fees...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

David Willetts says the Tories are failing the young

It perhaps should be pointed out that he was the minister responsible for introducing £9000 per year university fees...

Indeed. I believe the word to describe his intervention on this matter is chutzpah.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This is an interesting point - the main reason why the UK has survived so far is that English national identity wasn't that strong. British national identity was much stronger in the past - holding the country together - and it's fading away.

This has been a popular argument amongst intellectuals for a couple of decades, but it suffers from a fairly major problem, i.e. it is not actually true. In England at least there has never been any distinction between 'Britishness' and 'Englishness'; even the words used to be totally interchangeable. The idea of a fully separate British national identity is/was essentially a Scottish phenomenon.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Has their even been a detailed study on self-description as British vs English? I for one would describe myself as British before English, because of Welsh roots and the word English conveys ... Something more negative than "British" in my mind.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There's a whole industry (I was going to write academic industry, but much of it actually takes place outside academia) devoted to producing substandard research on national identity, so probably. I'm not sure it would be worth reading.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In one of those unpleasant coincidences that sometimes happen, two notable historians have died on the same day: Lisa Jardine and David Cesarani.

[Phony Moderate]

Tories at a 36-32 lead with Mori, though Corbyn (37-39) has a somewhat better net personal rating than Cameron (42-51). Farage (45-37), however, is the only leader with a positive rating. Most don't seem to care about Farron (22-27), unsurprisingly. The government is at 38-57.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Grey Squirrels have been extirpated from Anglesey!

[Hnv1]

Lords vote against tax credit cuts. since when do they vote on financial legislation?

[YL]

Lords vote against tax credit cuts. since when do they vote on financial legislation?

There is some debate about whether this counts as a "financial" matter or a "welfare" matter.  David Davis (anti-Cameron Tory) was saying this morning that the convention hadn't been broken.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Indeed we are in unique days after all: a Commons more conservative than the Lords is very ahistorical. I bet Tories wish they hadn't squashed Lords Reform now!

[Intell]

Huraah! for the house of lords on actually something.

[Phony Moderate]

Lots of hypocrisy being displayed by the left on this, I notice.

[YL]

Indeed we are in unique days after all: a Commons more conservative than the Lords is very ahistorical. I bet Tories wish they hadn't squashed Lords Reform now!

Most plausible suggestions for an upper house (barring not having one at all or going back to it being dominated by hereditaries) would be likely to be at least as obstructive to this Government as the one we have.

[Hnv1]

So will the pigshagger have them create dozen of new Tory peers?

[Clyde1998]

Has their even been a detailed study on self-description as British vs English? I for one would describe myself as British before English, because of Welsh roots and the word English conveys ... Something more negative than "British" in my mind.

2011 UK Census (England Data):
English Only - 32,007,983
British Only - 10,171,834
Eng/Brit Joint - 4,820,818