goldfinger
- 09 Jun 2005 12:25
Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).
Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.
cheers GF.
MaxK
- 19 Sep 2014 09:53
- 45941 of 81564
The 'English question' answered: Scottish MPs to be barred from voting on English laws
Scottish MPs will be prevented from voting on issues only affecting England as part of the post-Scottish referendum reforms, David Cameron announces
By Peter Dominiczak
8:55AM BST 19 Sep 2014
Scottish independence: referendum results - live »
David Cameron has announced that he will fast-track proposals to prevent Scottish MPs voting on English-only issues in the wake of the independence referendum.
The Prime Minister said that he will provide a “decisive answer” to the so-called “West Lothian Question” by the time of the next election.
However, Douglas Alexander, a shadow Labour minister, immediately hit out at the plans.
Labour has 40 Scottish MPs and any move to prevent them voting in Parliament on a series of devolved issues would severely impact the party’s ability to block or pass laws in future.
Mr Cameron also suggested that similar proposals would in future apply to Welsh and Northern Irish MPs.
more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/11108046/The-English-question-answered-Scottish-MPs-to-be-barred-from-voting-on-English-laws.html
Haystack
- 19 Sep 2014 09:55
- 45942 of 81564
David Cameron has promised new powers for Scotland as 55% of the country voted to reject independence in a historic referendum.
However, he warned that it was now time for the "millions of voices of England must be heard".
But he unveiled a substantial shake-up of powers for the whole of the UK suggesting new powers for Wales and Northern Ireland and greater influence for England's MPs over English law.
He said work would start on a "full and fair settlement for all of the UK" in what appeared to be a shift towards a more federalist UK and that plans would be drawn up by the Leader of the House of Commons William Hague.
Haystack
- 19 Sep 2014 09:56
- 45943 of 81564
Update - Labour lead at 2
by YouGov in Politics
Fri September 19, 2014 6 a.m. BST
Latest YouGov / The Sun results 18th Sept - Con 33%, Lab 35%, LD 8%, UKIP 14%;
Haystack
- 19 Sep 2014 09:58
- 45944 of 81564
Polling report now showing only 16 Labour majority!
http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/
cynic
- 19 Sep 2014 09:59
- 45945 of 81564
fred - as i wrote ANY gov't with a crushing majority etc etc ...... for democracy to work satisfactorily, it is imperative that there is room for strong and meaningful debate
just possibly, this may all bring about PR, though i have serious misgivings about that too
goldfinger
- 19 Sep 2014 10:03
- 45946 of 81564
Fred up on Twitter the tory fans are saying how this result as made labour big favourites for next years GE.
Seems only Hays in the whole world cant see that.
Poor lad.
MaxK
- 19 Sep 2014 10:04
- 45947 of 81564
The Swiss model would be the answer, but tptb wouldn't like it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_Switzerland
Fred1new
- 19 Sep 2014 10:14
- 45948 of 81564
The problem the moron has, is that no real changes can be "made" before the next election and I can't see the Labour, or Liberal party implementing any program of reforms which slits their own throats.
The overall majority in the next party will probably be for either a Labour government or a lib/dem/labour coalition. The latter may be a good thing and provide not too great a majority vote in parliament. (As Manuel intimates.)
However, as can be interpreted from the Scottish result the present CON party leads a distaste in the mouths of many in the UK.
MaxK
- 19 Sep 2014 10:20
- 45949 of 81564
Nigel Farage says Scots MPs should give up votes
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/nigel-farage-says-scots-mps-should-give-up-votes-1-3546773

Nigel Farage said Scottish MPs should immediately give up their right to debate or vote on devolved English issues in Westminster.
The Ukip leader said he will write to the 59 Scottish MPs today to ask them to commit to ending their involvement in England-only policies.
Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think Cameron and Miliband were so lacklustre in the early part of this referendum campaign that they panicked and they made a series of promises on behalf of the English - one, to devolve more powers, but secondly they made a promise to maintain the Barnett Formula whereby the UK taxpayer spends £1,600 more on every Scot than on every English person.
“So, it’s quite interesting to see Mr Cameron today on the steps of Downing Street relieved that he didn’t manage to lose the union but now panicked by the English question.
“I think that short-term, as far as English voters are concerned, I’m going to write today to all 59 Scottish MPs and I’m going to say to them in the spirit of finding a fair settlement for the United Kingdom, will you please commit from today not to take part in debates or votes in Westminster on English devolved issues.
“Short-term that’s what we can do. Longer-term, and I think all the constitutional experts talking on your show say, this stuff is complicated, getting this right matters as it will be for many, many decades to come and I really do think now we absolutely need to have a constitutional convention to talk about how we create a fair, federal United Kingdom.
“That process is vital. All I’ve heard from Mr Cameron is that William Hague will head up some committee to discuss the English question and I simply don’t think that’s enough.”
cynic
- 19 Sep 2014 10:24
- 45950 of 81564
fred/sticky - far far too early to determine what effect this referendum might have on a ge result .... the gibbering masses assuredly don't know
goldfinger
- 19 Sep 2014 10:33
- 45951 of 81564
And neither do you.
doodlebug4
- 19 Sep 2014 11:08
- 45953 of 81564
Interesting to note the high percentage of people who actually got off their backsides and voted. I wish people would do the same at a General Election.
cynic
- 19 Sep 2014 11:25
- 45954 of 81564
sticky - unlike you and fred and hays, i've never ever pretended to know what will happen in the election .....
what i have consistently said, is that neither major party leader has any public appeal or even much credibility, all of which is borne out by the plethora of polls - i.e. 6% lead for labour is pathetic; conservatives' performance may be pretty dire, but labour has signally failed to capitalise on this
doodlebug4
- 19 Sep 2014 11:32
- 45955 of 81564
Polls consistently get it wrong, whereas bookies usually get it right - which is one of the reasons I can never understand why posters on this thread quote what the polls say on a daily basis! :-)
cynic
- 19 Sep 2014 11:34
- 45956 of 81564
though individual polls are certainly a load of garbage, there have been so many of them quoted here over the last year, and generally speaking they have all concurred; therefore there is some credibility in the labour lead, though assuredly not on the truly likely result in a ge
MaxK
- 19 Sep 2014 11:46
- 45957 of 81564
MaxK
- 19 Sep 2014 11:59
- 45958 of 81564
Fred1new
- 19 Sep 2014 12:37
- 45959 of 81564
Manuel,
I don't claim to have psychic powers or see myself as a soothsayer, but do use some of the information available do "guess" the results. (Even, when the information, is not to my liking.)
I think general feeling is that the present government has been the most divisive and disastrous one for the majority of the /UK society for many years.
It has benefitted the wealthiest at the cost of the less able and more defenceless in society and by its ideology, rhetoric and propaganda unduly supported by the RIGHT WING press, (for their own ends), fragmented society rather than worked to producing a “fairer” and more cohesive one.
This can be seen from the Scottish referendum debate and resulting vote.
Crowing by the NO voters will not improve the situation. Neither will Farage and his bluster and populist rhetoric pronouncements
The alternative Labour or L/L/D government to the CONs, still have a difficult hand to play and I think it is still sensible to be cautious for them to make definite pronouncement about future policies, although they certainly have to within the next 3months¬.
I hope they are well thought out and deliverable.
Personally, I am distrustful of "icon" and dislike the "presidential" type of government, which developed under Thatcher and continued and increased under Blair and to a lesser or greater degree by Cameron.
The public are fed up with Cameron and his “passion”, “commitments” and posturing and distrusts politicians in general and particularly the CON party in particular.
I think it is unlikely that Miliband will be replaced before the next G.E. and guess if he is in “power” there will be a reversal to a more consensual form of cabinet policy and decision-making. That will be a good thing.
The present Labour party seems to have put the degree of destructive bickering it used to have in the past behind it. (At the least, it seems for the time being.)
Politics and its similarities to chess interests me, and at the moment I see its present state, as in a complicate middle game, which has developed after a poor opening and defence.
My guess is White will win!
cynic
- 19 Sep 2014 12:47
- 45960 of 81564
my guess is that your guess is coloured by wishful thinking
my own guess is that it is all far too close to call and much may still change in either direction