Monday 9 January 2012

THANKS OLD CHAP, BUT WE CAN READ AND WRITE UP HERE

There are two main reasons, well official reasons anyway, why Mr Cameron has rushed, with what seems like indecent haste, to force a referendum on Scotland in 2013. 


Firstly he says he is doing it because he wants any referendum to be "fair, legal and decisive", because, bless his cotton Vicuña  socks, he thinks they "owe it to the Scottish people" to ensure that. 

That would bring a tear to a glass eye, would it not? 

Fine, and it's sweet of him to be concerned, but did it ever cross his mind  that we have people in Scotland who are trained in law.We have our own law officers, they understand the terms of the Scotland act, and it's more than a little patronising of him to assume that we don't. No one in the Scottish government was going to take liberties with something as important as this. No one has now, or has ever, had any intention of trying to hold a referendum that was unfair, illegal or indecisive. 

We have known since devolution, that any referendum we held would be consultative. The only person who can grant independence is the Queen, on the  advice of her London first minister. Indeed David McLetchie, a Scottish lawyer, and currently the Scottish Conservative's Chief Whip, Business Manager and Constitutional Affairs Spokesman pointed out several years ago that the only question that the Scottish government can put, must ask the voter if (s)he wants the Scottish government to commence negotiations with the UK government... I'm not sure what Mr Cameron was doing to miss that. Maybe it was before he was interested in politics. 

So to use Mr Cameron's own words: calm down dear, nothing to worry about. We weren't planning UDI. 

The second official reason was that the question of whether Scotland, in a few years' time, would be a part of the UK or an independent country, was causing uncertainty for business and for the markets.


We all know, of course, that Cameron doesn't want the referendum  held in the 700th anniversary year of  the Battle of Bannockburn, the year of Scotland holding the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, presumably things which he imagines will stir some pride in the nationalist soul. 


Instead he wants it to be held in the period just after Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games in London, events which doubtless he imagines will stir the spirit of the British Bulldog and good Old Blighty war time spirit, of Keep Clam and Carry On. He may even be planning get Vera Lynn out of retirement to give us her White Cliffs of Dover just to reinforce the image.


But to get back to the pretence.  If Mr Cameron thinks that business or the markets are so worried about uncertainty caused by whether on not a certain union will be in place in a few years' time, would it not be sensible for them also to be sure of the UK's position relative to the European Union. Maybe he could do this by holding a referendum on the same day? We might even trust him to do it fairly, legally and decisively (despite the fact that he really didn't stick to his word over the last one).

  

21 comments:

  1. tris

    so

    100% turnout (unlikely but an example)

    50% vote for Devo max
    26% vote no to remaining within the 'Union'
    24% vote yes to remaining within the 'union'

    Now according to Alex and the other Nats the no to remaining within the 'Union' wins and Independence is declared.

    To me and any other fair minded person Devo-max wins.
    So how can any reasonable person say the snp will not act in a

    'unfair, illegal or indecisive.' manner.

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  2. tris. Niko did he's in charge of idiots in Nikoland;o)))))

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  3. LOL KBW. I wonder if it's independent!

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  4. We are gonna have you lot we're gonna rub your stinking noses in ya stoopid Referendum ballot.

    Be you ever so high Westminster is way high above you.

    Yep! we are gonna laugh all the way to the 'Unionists' victory ball

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  5. Yes Niko. Fine. Enjoy it then. never had you down as a Cameron follower...

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  6. Nurse nurse Nikos out of his bed again and he's peed himself;o)))))))))))

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  7. :o))))))

    Well KBW: Niko's finally flipped and become a Tory, and that's worse than peeing himself....

    You should read some of the ill-informed comments on the BBC site.

    It's one thing to be a unionist for genuine reasons. That's a personal, perhaps even emotional, choice, and although I don't feel in the least emotional about any of it, I can understand even that.

    But for heaven's sake these people are basing their arguments on complete fallacy.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16463961?postId=111375074#comment_111375074

    I see they have closed the thread...

    We really have to watch the press and the BBC. Like the labour Party, they are so behind the Conservatives on this one. (I expect because they know that they will lose all Scotland's licence fee which is far more than they waste on Scottish programming.

    And the Scottish BBC know it's the end of high living off the licence payer, if there is no longer London to protect them, cosset them and wrap them in eiderdown in the First Class section of the plane.

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  8. Niko the Tory...

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  9. Is that photo of Dave 1 and Dave 2 on the super fast choo-choo stopping at Birmingham and going no further?

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  10. I am barred from the BBC Nick Whatisname website too now.

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  11. I think it must be abroad Wolfie. They don't have trains like that in England.

    Not unless this is a special carriage laid on for those and such as those, and David Cameron.

    Oh dear... fancy getting banned from there. What did you do to upset Mr Unionist Nick.

    PS Just looked at the pic. Cameron looks like an older version of Julian Clary there, doesn't he?

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  12. Calm down dear, its only a commercial

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  13. Of course it's commercial, Wolfie. It's the Tories!

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  14. I don't know; you wait all these years for a referendum and then two come along at once!

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  15. Lupus Incomitatus,

    "I am barred from the BBC Nick Whatisname website too now"

    I'll see your ban on the BBC and raise you with:

    http://gedguy-roehampton.blogspot.com/2011/12/newsnet-scotland.html

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  16. Indeed they do Munguin, but I wonder why, seeing as he's so keen on giving people fairness, legality and decisiveness, he's so incredibly determined not to give them that kind of choice over Europe. Maybe it's because he can't fiddle the fairness in that case.

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  17. Uh huh. Gedguy. You and Wolfie appear to be banned from everywhere...

    Have you tried "Sure"... the 24 hour deodorant that won't let you down...?

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