Regional Assemblies.

[AdamW]

why can a scottish mp vote at westminster on laws that affect the english but an english mp cannot do the same in scotland????????????????

Probably for the same reasons a Scotsman can live in England but continually bone on about how they think Scotland is better

I presume the reason they allow Scottish MPs to vote in Westminster is because if they withdrew that privilege then Scotland would want to leave the Union. But it is unfair that English MPs can't do the same in Edinburgh, and also that so much English tax money heads north of the border in order to keep them living in the style to which they have become accustomed under English rule.

This gets picked up on at immigration

I had a conversation with a particularly silly American who thought that England, 'Britain' the UK were all different countries, and they had a right go at me because, as they put it, "England is at war with Ireland and I'm Irish." followed a few seconds later by "Why the hell are you talking about 'Eire'? I was talking about Ireland!" I would like to point out they were particularly stupid, I am sure most Americans could figure it out!

 

[jasy]

Lived there for a while and bruised my knuckles over the same argument. they don't like the way we settle arguments!! All americans are irish and they believe we are at war with the irish........................MUPPETS.................................by the way Rememberence Day today, remembering my best mate killed by the IRA

 

[Damocles]

When England finally conquered Scotland, they did it by buying them out. Much easier than spending even more money on paying soldiers. About the only thing the Scots got in return was a guarantee of a certain number of seats in the United Kingdom parliament. If you now want to tear up the deal about how many Scots mps there are, you also have to start from scratch regarding whether Scotland (including what is left of the oil in its territorial waters) gets full independance.

The figures on taxes going to Scotland take no account of the oil revenues. Scotland has been subsidising the UK.

As an independant member of the EU, Scotland would have its own votes in all the EU councils. Much the same sort of deal it gets now with regard to the number of UK MPs it is guaranteed.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

............. Scared them into giving Scotland its own parliament even with a few teeth. Westminster shafted them though, saddled them with an incredibly expensive parliament building which they did not choose and could not cancel.

But the money came from English taxpayers, so who's laughing ????

 

[jasy]

 

[pipme]

Be no money remaining soon .. paying GP quacks £100 an hour to cover on NHS ..... How much work would you expect for £100 an hour ? Certainly want them working flat out 12 hrs for £1200 (pensionable too !!)--- not sat around ignoring mobile !!!
P

 

[jasy]

No mate, it's the police who sit around not anwering their mobiles

 

[ZenStalinist]

I'd have been for the regional assemblies. Personally, I favour cuts in the local overgovernment. I think county councils have too much power, perhaps if we took some things away from the counties, and gave them to the regional assemblies it would have been better, would have probably saved money in the long run and would make things quite a bit easier on one level or another.

 

[AdamW]

Personally, I favour cuts in the local overgovernment.

Me too, if we have to employ overpriced people with taxpayers money I would sooner they were (hypothetically) saving my life on the operating table or arresting the bloke who had (hypothetically) put me there.

Not sitting around doing sweet FA but still managing to spend all the money that they get, rising every year.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I'd have been for the regional assemblies. Personally, I favour cuts in the local overgovernment. I think county councils have too much power, perhaps if we took some things away from the counties, and gave them to the regional assemblies it would have been better, would have probably saved money in the long run and would make things quite a bit easier on one level or another.

So you honestly believe the regional assemblies would replace the local government ???? You're havin a laff mate,, it's a top up. You've now got to work to 75 to keep the lazy inefficient (un)civil servants til there dieing day, it's a case of f++k U Jack, i'm o.k.
The only thing that beats inefficiency is complacency, 'bout time we stood up and stuffed these buggers with their golden crusted jobs/handshakes.

 

[jasy]

Join the army. Even better pension paid for by whingers like you!!!!!!

 

[ZenStalinist]

So you honestly believe the regional assemblies would replace the local government ???? You're havin a laff mate,, it's a top up. You've now got to work to 75 to keep the lazy inefficient (un)civil servants til there dieing day, it's a case of f++k U Jack, i'm o.k.
The only thing that beats inefficiency is complacency, 'bout time we stood up and stuffed these b*****r with their golden crusted jobs/handshakes.

Hmm.. You know, civil servants are important. If we didn't have one, and you wanted to contact the council, you'd be in trouble. They're just another tory scapgoat. Fact is, we haven't had a regional shakeup in ages most countries, and the system needs restructuring. A system whereby scotland etc are devolved, and yet england not, doesn't work, and creates holes in the legislative system. What I favour is scaling back the county councils, and having about 6 or so regional assemblies, and devolving in a federalized manner. These regional assemblies could have more power, yet not be too close to be overgoverning or NIMBYist, etc.
I know the plan wouldn't have done that, what I'm saying is it should have.

Due to population growth, population shifts, demographic shifts over time, we need the occaisional shakeup, because one model of local government might have worked well say thirty years ago, but doesn't now. No matter how many civil servants you hire or fire, our local government system won't work efficiently because it was built upon a concept of regions and localities which doesn't really exist anymore, or regions t hat have shifted, grown, etc.

I think the problem is, there was anticipation of regional assemblies coming accross opposition, so the plan maybe was watered down slightly. However, that fact was just played upon by the rightwingers, and such assemblies would be seen as impotent rubber stamp organizations. Maybe the plan actually needed to be MORE radical, or something of the type.