Tories only have a built-in majority IF you retain the present structure for English elections. Now Labour and Tories have traditionally tried to gain advantage by re-arranging constituency boundaries in their own favour. However, if the objective is to produce a more truly democratic English parliament then a totally new structure needs to be developed. We saw with Labour's pitiful attempt to introduce regionalisation that there was no great appetite for it. Within geographic regions there is too much distrust between centres of population. Hence Merseyside would be reluctant to accept a Manchester based administration, similarly Leeds would resist a region centred on Sheffield or Hull or Bradford and Sunderland would rather die than be controlled from Newcastle! So for England we are going to have to be very innovative in our thinking. However, it does offer the country the opportunity to end the South East domination of power and wealth.
I'm glad it was a "No", personally. And I think you're right, they would just be taking power from self-serving politicians in London and giving it to self-serving politicians in Edinburgh. The electorate has very little power beyond choosing who to vote for, and as most governments get in with less than 50% of the vote, it always means that the majority of people in the country have a government they didn't ask for. Whichever way the Jocks had voted, almost half of them would have got a decision they didn't want, and those that did wouldn't be happy for long.
The kilt-wearing, blue-faced, pictish ****s ****ing bottled it, as predicted by me. ****ing sweaty arsewipes. Denice told Scots Gary she wouldn't serve him again if they voted 'yes' Glad to oblige, saint
Interestingly my thoughts are that there would be major cross-party support from the 'regions' for a redistribution of power and control. The evidence of the Scottish campaigns demonstrates that the status quo is no longer tenable. Now Northern Ireland and Wales both have existent Assemblies but with England all we truly have is a blank piece of paper. If those of us who live in England are too apathetic to size this opportunity then we deserve all we get - absolutely nothing!!
i saw on the news this morning that they was supposed to meet up (ministers?)and discuss things or something, cant remember what they said it was about though sorry lol.
I live in Wales so we get the ****ty end of the stick anyway. Seriously, though-how do English regions "seize their opportunity" when any sort of devolution will still be overseen by Westminster? Sadly, power to regional politicians is still power to politicians, and having regions competing with each other for funding is still jungle law. I've heard a lot this morning about how the referendum, with it's astronomically high turnout, will usher in a new era of a more politically active and aware electorate, but frankly I think that's just bollocks. A vote for independence was a major, once-in-a-generation event, and anyone that didn't turn out wants shooting. Once the fuss dies down though, and all the old Political chicanery gets back to normal, apathy will inevitably settle back in, imo.
They lowered the voting age to 16 didn't they because they reckoned 6th formers, many of whom are studying politics, should have a say and start on the path to practising what they have been learning about. I wonder what the voting split was on 16/17 year olds. Interesting that the biggest the split got in any of the 32 counties was 60/40 [ish] - thought the Islands would have a much bigger split than that.
16-17 were big majority yes 65+ big majority no cancelled each other out the vote was irrelevant really if you were in favour of yes as no was never going to lose
Apathy will settle back in if you let it. I'm not too stupid to not see that politicians will always resort to dissembling and chicanery. However, when the PM and leader of the Tories says that we must address the governance of England as a matter of urgency and the leader of Labour recognises that they will never get into power under the suggestions for federalisation then the opportunity for change is there. If you look at the power/wealth profile of both the UK and England then it is a travesty of justice.
It is, but I believe the solution is evolution, not devolution. That, however, is an entirely different debate- and probably more suited to a politics forum.
