British Politics Thread.

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

So, referendum is done and over with, so Independence Thread is now a bit defunct. So I started this one, hurrah!

I'll kick off with a puzzler....

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29306231]Labour seem reticent over English Parliament type thing[/url]. Which is crazy.

I don't think there's a single person in Scotland who feels it isn't daft that a Scottish MP can vote on matters solely affecting England.

Way I see it, a more federal UK could be a good thing - lots of grumbling over the years about Westminster being too Londoncentric in it's views and influences. Yet Labour aren't really back it.

Answer seems fairly obvious - Scotland has a decent number of Labour MPs, and just a single Tory, so those votes are important. But the confusing thing? Seems they're about to make exactly the same mistake the Tory party did in 1997 - refuse to discuss a pressing matter.

For the Tories, it was a Scottish (and indeed Welsh) desire for devolution. Lib Dumbs and Labour put it to the people. Tories just said 'no'. Net result? Tory massacre in Scotland. Not a single Tory MP from north of the border. And Labour now risk that very same mistake!

[Wolfshade]

Ah the west lothian question

[Mr Mystery]

Indeed. [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29306231]Slightly more info in this article about the stances the various parties are adopting.[/url]

Westminster really needs to get on this one and pronto. Promsies made to Scotland should be stuck to, but equally the rest of the UK should not miss out. Otherwise, you'll just generate hostility towards Scotland, even though the current imbalance is not their doing!

[Wolfshade]

I was speaking to a friend about this at the weekend.

Really there should be UK-wide laws, which all elected MPs can vote on and then "federal" type laws that only MPs for that legisture body can vote on (Wlesh Assembly, Scottish Parliament, Stormont and an English version).

The trouble comes dividing what laws are passed by which areas.

There was a general consensus that any costs arising from changing from UK to national variance should have th cost met in that region.

E.g. if Wales decided every household should own three sheeps, it is up to the WA to fund it.

Though we couldn't decide where you would draw the lines of what should be whole UK and what should be Nation by nation.

[Mr Mystery]

I quite agree - I think a federal UK would be inherently fairer as a society.

Living/Working in London or the home counties leads to skewed perceptions of how the country is doing as a wider whole.

As a country we've got a really good chance here to modernise our somewhat archaic governmental system.

[Wildeybeast]

I was speaking to a friend about this at the weekend.

Really there should be UK-wide laws, which all elected MPs can vote on and then "federal" type laws that only MPs for that legisture body can vote on (Wlesh Assembly, Scottish Parliament, Stormont and an English version).

The trouble comes dividing what laws are passed by which areas.

There was a general consensus that any costs arising from changing from UK to national variance should have th cost met in that region.

E.g. if Wales decided every household should own three sheeps, it is up to the WA to fund it.

Though we couldn't decide where you would draw the lines of what should be whole UK and what should be Nation by nation.

You mean like how Scotland gets free prescriptions and universities paid for by the UK?

[Al Shut]

Just don't federalize education. Having several different school systems is a horrible idea

[Psychosplodge]

Brightside and Hillsborough by-election labour down to 15k votes from 22k at general election, turnout down 20%, vote share up 6%.
UKIP 5K
LD and conservatives about 1.3k each with LD about 100 in front.
Everyone else <1k

Ms Furniss said: "Tonight the people of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough have sent David Cameron an emphatic message: Mr Cameron we have had enough of your uncaring government. We have had enough of your Tory government's unfair cuts which have hit communities like ours in Sheffield so much more than affluent areas."

Idk if this actually means anything - its been labour since 1935 just about anyone in a red rosette would have won it.
You expect lower numbers in a non general election year.

In the Scottish polls the SNP failed to secure an overall majority.

[Mr Mystery]

Share of the vote is the important thing though - especially when the knives were out for Corbyn the second he was elected to lead the party, by the party.

Increase share of the vote, even in a safe seat? That's still good going.

T Wells results to be counted this afternoon (because apparently, it can't possibly be done earlier)

[Psychosplodge]

Maybe in a more contested seat. I bet they had a 20k majority when Blunkett was the MP That says more to me.