Brown to fight UK breakup

So, how screwed is the Union now?

no one in Scotland actually seems to want independence, really. It seems to be more of a thing to shout about, but if they got it they know they'd be fucked.

There, first page of the news thread, and I done a swear already!

i think certain scotish people are being rather foolish and really aren't looking into the economics of this - they are better off as part of the union!

because of the barnet formula (which was only ever planned to be a short term measure) scotland get a higher per captia budget than anywhere else, even though most of the tax capital comes from England, and in particular the south, where the higher wages and companies are.

this is why they can afford to give their students a free education and are moving towards free prescriptions, when the price is going up in england.

and do not even begin to give me the oil - the oil is over 200 miles off the coast in no-mans land, it was the UK taxpayers money that paid for it to be found/set up etc and it's only landed in scotland as a convience, there's nothing to stop it being landed a few miles down south...

and i'm not even going towards the army and the lack of the abilty for the scotish to have their own...oh no, its okay, we have one so we'll protect them and do the dirty jobs...


grrrrr

don't get me wrong, i want scotland to stay part of the UK, we all make a good team both socially and economically, why fix something that isn't broken.

I liked what they said on The News Quiz the other night - we should let them have independence, then go into union with them and get free university and care for the elderly, and prescription charges

quote:

Originally posted by Domitella:
no one in Scotland actually seems to want independence, really. It seems to be more of a thing to shout about, but if they got it they know they'd be fucked.

There, first page of the news thread, and I done a swear already!

i suspect you're right, there''s the same sort of stuff going on in Australia - the difference is, nobody in the UK really cares if Australia stays or goes

I agree, and from a Justice Committee meeting I went to a few months ago, desire to independence has sunk - though the vast majority of Peers (Labour and Liberals included) feel devolution has damaged the Union. I trust the word of the Lords over the MPs any day.

It's a difficult thing though, as I see devolution was a necessary measure but it has caused all sorts of new constitutional issues to open up which weren't addressed at the time - typical of this administration.

Federation of the UK is an impossibility, however.

14 Thousand without power this morning in the Atlanta area. And I drove through it this morning to get to work!

quote:

Originally posted by D M:


It's a difficult thing though, as I see devolution was a necessary measure but it has caused all sorts of new constitutional issues to open up which weren't addressed at the time - typical of this administration.

was it?

even if they needed more representation its created a two tier country (and no, previously scotland was no worse off than the north of england, don't give me it's just re-dressed the balance).

*shrugs*

and the north east voted with great passion *against* having a regional assembly up here, no matter how much prescott wanted it

quote:

Originally posted by ladykatza:
14 Thousand without power this morning in the Atlanta area. And I drove through it this morning to get to work!

urk!

you don't realise how much you rely on it all until it's gone!

i hope its all up again quickly (and at least its summer rather than the cold/darkness of winter)

Oh I agree, it has caused a two-tier state, which is what I meant by the poor consideration for the consequences for the Union. But clamour seemed pretty strong in Scotland for devolution at the time (Wales much less so).

Thanks Smaug. I'm actually in a data center, we have 8 backup diesel generators about the size of my house. No problem here.

quote:

Originally posted by D M:
Oh I agree, it has caused a two-tier state, which is what I meant by the poor consideration for the consequences for the Union. But clamour seemed pretty strong in Scotland for devolution at the time (Wales much less so).

*wonders which tax payers paid for the parliment building....*

quote:

Originally posted by ladykatza:
14 Thousand without power this morning in the Atlanta area. And I drove through it this morning to get to work!

glad to know you're okay. I was wondering if it hit Atlanta too and how bad. Also wondered if it came near Graffalke and Masque when it went off east after leaving our area.

got pretty scary here around 6AM but i and my local family members are fine.

Grrrr....
Definately going to switch as many bills as I can over to online payments...

Massive quake in China. Apparently there are up to 900 students buried in the rubble in some schools.

searching for votes not?

not kicking in until september, but then backdated....okay, when are the next local elections? october by any chance?

£120 doesn't sound like a lot, for a year...

its not, but people on low income who lost £232 it's a start.

and i'd say better in my pocket than theirs, except its not out of their pockets, darling has admitted he's having to borrow the money to pay for it.

but i ain't gonna refuse it.

quote:

Originally posted by Crow Girl:
Massive quake in China. Apparently there are up to 900 students buried in the rubble in some schools.

..and the news out of there just keeps getting worse.

Wasn't Chengdu where Neil went for a book signing last year? Then visited the panda reserve there?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Weeble,

i did hear they were concerned about the reserve, but no more than that.

i don't *think* they are the area's my friends families are from, i really should send them an email to check...*checks the date* bugger! i'm late for their son's birthday, i really really should send them an email!