Scottish Independence

[MakemineVanilla]

But what about the West Lothian Question?

[Ads]

If the English MP's on English matters comes in, then Labour are the party who will be buggered.

 

I am hoping for far greater regional autonomy. In Birmingham we have the second biggest regional economy in the UK, we're the only net exporter in the UK to China, yet we're spending £100 less per head of population compared to the rest of the UK. Listen to Heseltine, give us the money and let us do something good with it.

[lapal_fan]

I think most people are in agreement that some of the money going into/out of London City needs to be distributed.

 

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City Council - It's far too big currently.

[sharkyvilla]

If the English MP's on English matters comes in, then Labour are the party who will be buggered.

 

I am hoping for far greater regional autonomy. In Birmingham we have the second biggest regional economy in the UK, we're the only net exporter in the UK to China, yet we're spending £100 less per head of population compared to the rest of the UK. Listen to Heseltine, give us the money and let us do something good with it.

Yup, the Tories hold some decent cards here in that they can look for consitutional change they've wanted for decades. Greater devolution and, at last, fairness for English people will be a big vote puller if it's battled out at the next election, unless the three parties can come to an agreement before then. Labour will be a bit more reluctant to lose the advantage that devolution bought them.

[Eames]

 

If the English MP's on English matters comes in, then Labour are the party who will be buggered.

 

I am hoping for far greater regional autonomy. In Birmingham we have the second biggest regional economy in the UK, we're the only net exporter in the UK to China, yet we're spending £100 less per head of population compared to the rest of the UK. Listen to Heseltine, give us the money and let us do something good with it.

Yup, the Tories hold some decent cards here in that they can look for consitutional change they've wanted for decades. Greater devolution and, at last, fairness for English people will be a big vote puller if it's battled out at the next election, unless the three parties can come to an agreement before then. Labour will be a bit more reluctant to lose the advantage that devolution bought them.

 

 I disagree that Labour would be buggered. Already in this thread it has shown that Scottish MPs have only impacted once on a GE result in 70 odd years. The West Lothian question will be interesting but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Tories, spurred on by the rabid back benchers start to punish the Scots a bit.

 

That Clyde shipyard contract we gave you pre-referendum? Yeah, thats moving to Plymouth/Portsmouth.

[islingtonclaret]

As Rev said, if they can't vote Yes in the current circumstances off the back of the commonweath games, a despised tory government full of toff berks, significant historic dates and off the back of a terrible recession then they are never going to vote Yes ever.

[coda]

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

[bickster]

But what about the West Lothian Question?

It doesn't occur if we all get regional assemblies with greater powers similar to Scotland, which has to be what people push for now and I mean push for in as many numbers as the Scots did, real politics on the street, no this party political shite we currently endure

[bickster]

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

That would be madness, seriously. Come up to Liverpool where the city is split into 3 different councils or Manchester where its split into many more and you'll see the kind of ludicrous situations that split cities create.

Most people up here would argue for the opposite, as long as someone paid Liverpool's current HUGE debt off. You can tell when you cross the border into Liverpool CC, the roads become absolutely awful and thats just one minor example.

[CVByrne]

1. 45% is too high a number for the issue to go away.

2. Tories are buggered, Cameron is toast.

3, Labour are dying a slow death.

4. Devolution for everybody is now on the agenda and it's a vote winner.

 

We're in for an interesting few years.

 

I just want London to become a City State 

[Risso]

Interesting that the places where the No vote got the highest percentages were those closest to England (Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders) and those where oil plays a big part of the economy (Aberdeenshire and Shetlands).  All 60% 'No' and above.  If it had been run along Westminster lines with councils equals seats, it would have been 28 to 4.  An absolute thrashing whichever way you dress it up.

[lapal_fan]

 

 

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

 

That would be madness, seriously. Come up to Liverpool where the city is split into 3 different councils or Manchester where its split into many more and you'll see the kind of ludicrous situations that split cities create.

Most people up here would argue for the opposite, as long as someone paid Liverpool's current HUGE debt off. You can tell when you cross the border into Liverpool CC, the roads become absolutely awful and thats just one minor example.

 

 

May be so, but BCC has not got a pot to pee in.  It's too big (Europes largest) and seeing as we don't market ourselves or having anything resembling a good business sector, they cannot feasible continue.  They're shutting down public gyms, leisure centres and trying to centralise schools to stop the rot, plus they've announce a £200 million pound cost cutting exercise - where 4,000 council jobs are to be cut by 2016 or 17 (can't remember).

 

The only good thing we have to bring in revenue is the German Xmas market

[Demitri_C]

im just surprised 45% people were silly enough to vote yes. they got lucky that most of the country are intelligent and realised the huge risks this would have caused had they gone

 

great to salmond fail that smirk on his face when he thought yes would win,. a kodak moment

[GENTLEMAN]

Sense has prevailed.

[Ads]

 

 

 

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

 

That would be madness, seriously. Come up to Liverpool where the city is split into 3 different councils or Manchester where its split into many more and you'll see the kind of ludicrous situations that split cities create.

Most people up here would argue for the opposite, as long as someone paid Liverpool's current HUGE debt off. You can tell when you cross the border into Liverpool CC, the roads become absolutely awful and thats just one minor example.

 

 

May be so, but BCC has not got a pot to pee in.  It's too big (Europes largest) and seeing as we don't market ourselves or having anything resembling a good business sector, they cannot feasible continue.  They're shutting down public gyms, leisure centres and trying to centralise schools to stop the rot, plus they've announce a £200 million pound cost cutting exercise - where 4,000 council jobs are to be cut by 2016 or 17 (can't remember).

 

The only good thing we have to bring in revenue is the German Xmas market

 

 

That is nonsense about Birmingham not marketting itself. The council is in a bad way financially as its funding from central government is tiny and it has had issues with the equal pay claim. The Greater Birmingham initiatives though have really highlighted how business in Birmingham is booming.

[lapal_fan]

 

 

 

 

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

 

That would be madness, seriously. Come up to Liverpool where the city is split into 3 different councils or Manchester where its split into many more and you'll see the kind of ludicrous situations that split cities create.

Most people up here would argue for the opposite, as long as someone paid Liverpool's current HUGE debt off. You can tell when you cross the border into Liverpool CC, the roads become absolutely awful and thats just one minor example.

 

 

May be so, but BCC has not got a pot to pee in.  It's too big (Europes largest) and seeing as we don't market ourselves or having anything resembling a good business sector, they cannot feasible continue.  They're shutting down public gyms, leisure centres and trying to centralise schools to stop the rot, plus they've announce a £200 million pound cost cutting exercise - where 4,000 council jobs are to be cut by 2016 or 17 (can't remember).

 

The only good thing we have to bring in revenue is the German Xmas market

 

 

That is nonsense about Birmingham not marketting itself. The council is in a bad way financially as its funding from central government is tiny and it has had issues with the equal pay claim. The Greater Birmingham initiatives though have really highlighted how business in Birmingham is booming.

 

 

I think Birmingham marketing is appalling myself. 

[choffer]

But what about the West Lothian Question?

Or, as Diane Abbott calls it, the Midlothian question.

[bickster]

In Birmingham, we just need to break up Birmingham City

 

Agreed.

That would be madness, seriously. Come up to Liverpool where the city is split into 3 different councils or Manchester where its split into many more and you'll see the kind of ludicrous situations that split cities create.

Most people up here would argue for the opposite, as long as someone paid Liverpool's current HUGE debt off. You can tell when you cross the border into Liverpool CC, the roads become absolutely awful and thats just one minor example.

 

May be so, but BCC has not got a pot to pee in.  It's too big (Europes largest) and seeing as we don't market ourselves or having anything resembling a good business sector, they cannot feasible continue.  They're shutting down public gyms, leisure centres and trying to centralise schools to stop the rot, plus they've announce a £200 million pound cost cutting exercise - where 4,000 council jobs are to be cut by 2016 or 17 (can't remember).

 

The only good thing we have to bring in revenue is the German Xmas market

The level of debt and lack of funding would be exactly the same, just spread out over more councils which in turn would be less effective as downsizing it would lead to extra bureaucracy i.e. more staff doing the same jobs as now, except they'd have less money with which to do anything. You'd also be kissing any marketing good bye as different councils would do it differently along different agendas. you'd also create areas where housing prices went up even further and some where they dropped.

To split up BCC would be absolute madness. Its the same everywhere, councils are closing Libraries and sports centres everywhere you go, that isn't a BCC problem its a symptom of exactly what we're talking about here, Westminster having way too much say.

[coda]

I was on about breaking up Birmingham City ...the club...

[Ginko]

I love how you're having this really serious political debate but you seem to have missed the fact that Coda was making a joke about SHA all this time

 

Edit: Goddammit, beaten to it.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Ginko