Yesterday’s Observer carried an excellent piece on the current views regarding Scottish independence, and for those unaware of, or without views on, the matter, you’d struggle to find a better piece in recent months. It presents the case from both an English and Scottish perspective, and hints at some of the constitutional issues that currently affect the country (over-representation of Scottish MP’s, the ‘West Lothian question’, and funding of regions (N.Ireland, Wales and Scotland all get more per capita), as well as the lack of an English parliament).
I’m generally opposed to an independent Scotland (see my previous thoughts on the subject here), although I can see that it could present Scotland with a unique opportunity to go it’s own way, and for that I do hold out some thoughts that it might be a good idea. I suppose most of all I regret that the two Scottish parliaments we’ve had so far have been so very lack lustre in their goals. Lower business rates (to attract more inward investment and new business), as well as more progressive taxation and taxation spending (what’s wrong with ring-fencing?), would be interesting and allow Scotland a proper advantage when competing against the South East, which benefits from proximity to London and it’s inevitable draw.
The choice in Scotland this May, when the parliament is re-elected, is really between Labour and the SNP for the largest party, and the SNP is steaming ahead in the polls, although I find their policies seem poorly considered (spend, spend, spend!) and naive. The Lib Dems, who will most likely hold the balance of power, have suffered as a result of a coalition with Labour, although some of the more interesting policies have been theirs (free education, for instance). Labour has just done whatever has been requested by London: It’s secondary stuff, and is no doubt suffering as a result of Blair’s malaise.
The issue of devolution is set to be a dominate issue. A lot of voters will hold their nose to vote SNP to provoke this further. Of course, this month (17th January, 1707 was the date it was passed in Scotland) see’s the 300th anniversary of Scotland’s vote to join the Union, and 1st May the anniversary of when it came into effect. It’ll be interesting to see how Gordon Brown marks it, as his nationality is a topic very pertinent to the twitching curtains of middle-England. I think that it’s been for the best for the whole of the UK, but it’s tied up in so much more than economics. How it is reported over the coming months will say a lot about attitudes. But the timing of the vote for parliament can only bolster the SNP, as attention is drawn to this hot topic.
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