A bunch of lying bastards........

[Blah Blah]

Well without the SNP stringvest, the hunting ammendment might have had a chance of getting through. So the SNP have been very useful here for those opposed to the hunting bill ammendment.

I don't see how four English parliaments would work Loz, unless we adopt a US style two tier government. And given that the south east disproportionately generates tax revenue, can't see how that would help the rest of the country if those powers are devolved, like they have been in Scotland. It all just becomes too complicated, and I believe would further impoverish the North.

It's like a panic has set in because the SNP won a few seats. So now we have to change the rules! In five years the balance could change again. That's politics. All those people voting in Scotland for the SNP were voting for a presence in Westminster, a presence the SNP have every right to use in any way they want to. If Cameron or any party want a working majority, then they have to earn it through the ballot box, and not by changing the rules of parliamentary voting to suit themselves. Remeber the slogan from the independance vote? Better together was the cry from Labour and Tories alike. What they meant was better together as long as you don't kill our parliamentary bills. Cameron better get used to it.

[Loz]

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> Well without the SNP stringvest, the hunting ammendment might have had a chance of getting through.

Possible, but it was unlikely as it was a free vote. I'd have been surprised to see it pass.

> I don't see how four English parliaments would work Loz, unless we adopt a US style two tier

> government.

Well, yes, with devolution that is exactly the logical conclusions. At the moment we have two tiers in Scotland and Wales, and (sort of) one everywhere else. It's just a constitutional nightmare. And its not just the US that make two tiers work - Australia, Canada, Germany and many others do it too.

> And given that the south east disproportionately generates tax revenue, can't see how that would help the

> rest of the country if those powers are devolved, like they have been in Scotland. It all just becomes too complicated, and

> I believe would further impoverish the North.

That's quite easy to get around - you keep certain tax-raising powers with the national government who can distribute them as necessary. Australia manage this quite easily with rather wildly performing state economies. In fact, it makes the distribution far more visible and so, in theory, more equitable.

> It's like a panic has set in because the SNP won a few seats. So now we have to change the rules!

Actually, the West Lothian Question has been rumbling along for nearly 40 years. EVEL was actually an issue discussed before the election as you can see from that article I linked to. This is not in any way new.

[Blah Blah]

Interesting Loz. You have pursuaded me it could work.

I just get suspicious when electoral, boundary, etc reform takes place as the party in power on the day invariably skews things to benefit themselves if they can. If change were a genuine effort to realise democracy, or to advance the economy etc, then I think I'd pay more attention to the detail. I take your point about the background debate having rumbled on for 40 years though.