Independence: Do the English feel left out?

[peterd1970]

So with Scotland on the cusp on independence, or at the very least more devolved powers, and devolution in Wales and N.I. has anyone asked what the English feel about all this? With their MP's able to vote on less matters that affect the devolved states, but MP's from those states able to vote on English only matters; is it time for the English to be stood up and counted?

[willieh]

So with Scotland on the cusp on independence, or at the very least more devolved powers, and devolution in Wales and N.I. has anyone asked what the English feel about all this? With their MP's able to vote on less matters that affect the devolved states, but MP's from those states able to vote on English only matters; is it time for the English to be stood up and counted?

They have interfered more than enough in more than enough countries over the years. It is time the English MP's concentrated more on their own situation and affairs and worried less about other countries. God knows they have helped Ireland quite enough thank you very much over the centuries! I am not sure we could actually have survived more help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously it is about time the English Members of Parliament concentrated on purely English matters and problems. Before we know it there is a real risk that they will have voted themselves out of the EU! There is line of thought out there that says that they only went into the EEC as it then was to wreck it and make in unmanageable in the first place! The EU however managed to do that all by itself with little or no help from anyone!

[warmcome]

They have interfered more than enough in more than enough countries over the years. It is time the English MP's concentrated more on their own situation and affairs and worried less about other countries. God knows they have helped Ireland quite enough thank you very much over the centuries! I am not sure we could actually have survived more help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously it is about time the English Members of Parliament concentrated on purely English matters and problems. Before we know it there is a real risk that they will have voted themselves out of the EU! There is line of thought out there that says that they only went into the EEC as it then was to wreck it and make in unmanageable in the first place! The EU however managed to do that all by itself with little or no help from anyone!

we should help them now that were on top of things

[peterd1970]

It is time the English MP's concentrated more on their own situation and affairs and worried less about other countries. !

But the point is, they can't. There is no such thing as "English only" affairs; the Scots, Welsh and NI MP's get to vote on everything. The English MP's don't.

[peterd1970]

we should help them now that were on top of things

We should

We should also bear in mind, that without the UK government we'd have had to have borrowed much more from the EU and IMF; so any financial weakening of the UK government, might have a significant bearing on Ireland.

[willieh]

we should help them now that were on top of things

We are managing to make enough of a mess of it all by ourselves. Incidentally I have it on excellent authority that during the bailout negotiations that we had with the IMF and EU, Brussels and several other powers were insisting that, as a condition of the default, Ireland in effect would have to mortgage our infrastructure such as Coillte, road and rail network and gas and oil reserves so that, in the event of a default, they could be sold. It was Mr Cameron, the PM of our nearest neighbour who not only arranged for the UK to lend us almost 8 billion euro at a very low rate but who stood fast and insisted that this security not be sought or supplied.

(Now there are those of you who will say that the UK did it out of enlightened self interest and that may be so as they have very close investment links, ties and trade with Ireland and that said default never happened anyway, but that is not the point. I will always hold Mr Cameron in very high regard because of this!!!!!)

[Curvaceous Kate]

I'm hoping it might mean that we finally get free prescriptions like the rest of the UK, since we will no longer be having to pay for theirs.

[johnb59]

Tbh I think it will be a total f up as you'd probably need a different currency euros for Ireland, and pounds for England and Wales, and Scotland? Let them look after themselves?

[EIFII]

I'm hoping it might mean that we finally get free prescriptions like the rest of the UK, since we will no longer be having to pay for theirs.

I doubt it as England is always more conservative and Scotland more socialist. So free prescriptions will be further away than ever after independence...

[EIFII]

So with the 40 odd Scottish MPs gone from Westminster, the remaining MPs will be able to vote on purely English and Welsh affairs. Given the imbalance in populations and representation between England and Wales, it seems only fair to allow the Welsh their own assembly in Cardiff.

Remind me why all the main English parties are arguing in favour of retaining the Union????

Reminds me that when I was in uni in the north of England in the 90's, there was talk then of a northern England regional assembly, to meet in York or Durham. Pity it never got off the ground.... May be we could have another regional assembly for the south west too, with special additional autonomy granted to Cornwall. The list goes on, personally I think Rutland should be granted its own assembly too; a very special corner of England.