Let the celebrations begin! The UK remains in all its glory

No 1,914,187
Yes 1,539,920

The forces of reason have prevailed - the UK remains one nation.

I hope everyone is happy now?

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29270441

 

Such a debated referendum is a positive base on which build the near future of Scotland and of whole United Kingdom.

The vote has expressed on a side [more than 40% of "YES"] a strong Scottish identity which is still well alive in the land of Scotland; and on the other side [the victory of "NO"] it has expressed a strong feeling of British identity [in the modern sense of the term] in the majority of the Scottish population.

This, at the end, demonstrates that the "devolution" has had positive effects and, giving more value to the identity of a nation, has granted a more balanced context for the Kingdom.

Furthermore, Cameron has gained a great political credit with this victory.

 

congratulations to the wisdom of the old Scottish people

 

All we need now is devolution and more powers for England.

For too long the Scottish people have had their every whim catered for, whilst the English are ignored. Come on Westminster. Give England her own parliament.

 

'Told you so'
But all in all the "yes" vote put up a good campaign and I am surprised about Salmond's resignation.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29255449

The map surprised me, as it appears only a tiny part of Scotland was strongly pro independence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29255449

 

Dunno about celebrations. More like let the work begin. Alot of debate to be had now about further constitutional change in the UK.

So more fun debates and hopefully a few good question times as well.

 

my view is that the 16, 17 yr olds mainly voted yes, seems to young to vote IMO

but glad the result went the way it did, because a 'yes' would have been a disaster

 

His fellow fish, Sturgeon, will be a dead cert now to take over the role as leader of the SNP and Scotland's First Minister.

 

The Establishment parties are now coming out saying they will now offer long overdue devolution to England. Whether that's in the form of an English parliament, regional assemblies (55% of the people of the North East want more powers of their own) or powers for the large city regions like Great Manchester (which has over 2 million people) we just don't know. I wouldn't hold my breath. Cameron will talk about "more powers for the English" but give it a few weeks and the English will get ignored again.

What definitely needs to be done is the solving of the West Lothian Question, the unfair situation in that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs are allowed to vote on English-only matters whereas English MPs are barred from voting on Scottish-only, Welsh-only and Northern Irish-only matters because they are matters solely for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Irish assemblies.

Yesterday, Nigel Farage posted letters to each of the 59 Scottish MPs politely asking them to refrain from voting on English-only matters. I have a feeling that Farage will be the only one of the four main party leaders who will keep on fighting for more fairness for the English taxpayer.

Nigel Farage: Time to stop Scots tail wagging the dog


Nigel Farage has said the time has come for an English Parliament, to give the country a "proper voice" in the UK.

The leader of the UK Independence Party told the BBC: "We've had a lot from Scotland but the tail cannot go on wagging the dog any longer."

He said there should be a full constitutional convention.

Mr Farage, whose party has no MPs but topped the Euro elections, also called for Scottish MPs to give up their right to vote on England-only issues.

Mr Farage's comments came after Scotland voted decisively to stay in the United Kingdom.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29274854


Nigel Farage posts his letters to the 59 Scottish MPs yesterday. English-only votes in Parliament form part of a list of demands Ukip has issued for England should Scotland be given more powers.

 

As Munter and Lil would expect, I am bitterly disappointed in the result. I thought the people of my age group who were old enough to remember alll the past broken promises from Westminster would had remembered but no,the recent past and the calls for independence of a few years ago have gone in the face of more lies and promises. Sad, sad day for Scotland, and one which we will live to regret..

 

I think what's more important is remembering the shared history of WW2 and the building up of the nation after it - strength in unity is what's needed.

Further powers will now surely be given to Edinburgh so it's time to build bridges and strengthen the UK as a whole, says Munter

 

When Shakespeare wrote that life is a Tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, many people thought that the idiot could be anyone...From Thursday the perfect idiot, the idiot by Eton, the perfect contemporary British idiot is called David Cameron.
If there woul really be an EU, Cameron would be at Devil's Island as a Papillon by idiot. And Britain would be away from the EU till reform its laws, after checking that any politician like Cameron, just to win an election, is able to upend the fragile but valuable Union building (The States).
But if Shakespeare could not warn us about the identity of the idiot, we drew the species: Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot .Cameron, a happy idiot after causing one of the biggest messes of European life in this century under pretext to remedy a British national problem by a Scottish regional punishment.

But the referendum nor remedied British weakness of not havinng a written Constitution nor chastens the Scottish separatism, but the appointment to play Russian roulette every few years.. like in Quebec...At no time have been told by the Scottish separatists that it won the yes to independence, they would convene another referendum fifteen years later to return to the UK, but in recognition of its sovereignty, a defeat can be amended with few repetitions of the referendum, they are needed. Therefore we aren´t in a neverendum but in a everendum, and ever, and ever ..

The Cameron one authorizes any future "little Cameron" to repeat it. If Scotland were independent ... Could Shetland hold a referendum and proclaim their own independence and keep the oil?

One thing is clear: Cameron is not Bismarck or Cavour. He is only the Idiot in Eton.

 

Very uncomfortable position for me to be agreeing with that odious manipulator Farage, but on this point he is right. What is needed is a proper constitutional convention for the whole UK, to produce an even and equal settlement of full devolution for the whole of the UK. The current constitution, with bits having different kinds of devolution and other bits having none, is a complete and unsustainable mess.

As for the West Lothian question, the only way to solve that is proper and equal devolution for everyone. It's easy to say that Welsh and Scottish MPs shouldn't vote on 'English only' matters, of course, but many of those decisions have implications for the way that Wales and Scotland are funded because of the current (also unsustainable, in its current form) funding formula. It just isn't that simple.

We need to actually sit down and work out a form and method of devolution across the whole UK, that is equal for everyone and works for everyone. That is the only sustainable way forward. A fully federal solution for the whole UK - Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the regions of England. Take power away from Westminster and bring decisions closer to the people.

 

Cenydd, it would be so difficult that I believe it is almost impossible. I just cannot see the implications involving Wales, NI and Scotland being fairly dealt with by any Westminster government and no matter how much devolution any of us get, the last word will always be from London, as Wales, Scotland and N.I .together remain in insufficient numbers to alter anything which Westminster decides.
Unless of course, England, which has also become almost non existent since London has taken over, decides to act.

 

We should be breaking down barriers, not building them. I hate all this nationalism...and the last thing we should want is to be tied up to a codified constitution for the next 200 odd years or more. Just look at America! No thanks.

 

Yes Lil, but then Scotland is the place where the injustice happens. Had it to happen where you live,( for instance if the iniquitous Poll tax had been tried out on you and not on Scotland, ) I could sit quite comfortably and criticise too, and say I hated Nationalism, but there again, isn't shouting for the UK just UK nationalism. Sorry, but what you see as nationalism I see as a call for equality and fairness.

 

Still going on about the poll tax??? I paid it, too.

Scotland isn't in any way oppressed by rUK.

You're dragging up old sores for the sake of it.

 

NO Lil, I am merely reminding you of some of the things we've had to put up withover the years and which I thought you would probably be aware of, but obviously you were not.
Yes, I know the English paid the poll tax, once, I believe and only when that happened and the English rioted was it taken away. They had rioted in Scotland as well, two years earlier when it was first introduced only in Scotland, but the Scots were ignored by Westminster but it all soon changed when England, justifiably and rightfully, rose up and said no. Does that sound like equality to you?

 

It was abolished when the whole country rose up against it. We're better together.

 

No Lil, Thousands of Scots had warrant sales against them for refusing to pay when the tax was only imposed on Scotland. It was 2 years later that it was adopted in England and when the English went mad, then it was scrapped. C'mon, you know it, and I think you also know much more than you let on.

 

Yes, I do. Scottish Tories persuaded Thatcher to introduce the poll tax in Scotland first, against her own inclination to introduce it countrywide in one go.

We could have got rid of her a whole two years earlier than we did

 

Well this certainly suggests they were keen to have it as soon as possible

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/g...-and-scotland-time-for-a-flat-tax-mr-osborne/

Not sure what you are on about here. The Poll tax doubtless kept Thatcher in power longer than the people wanted, simply because people refused to sign on the electoral roll in order to avoid it.

 

They were.

The poll tax finished Thatcher. If it had been introduced countrywide from the beginning, as she wished, then she would have gone sooner

But don't worry, I don't hate the Scots for it.

 

Seems we might have something in common re Thatcher. The Poll Tax, and other Thatcher policies finished the Tories in Scotland.