| The Fury said: Which baffles me more as the 400 thousand English residents in Scotland get to vote, infact if they want the Polish residents can, can't they? Which would be weird considering, they could vote for independence and then not be allowed to work/live there anymore. A Scottish born/immediate offspring of Scottish born would have been best. Although hard to do. A lot has changed in 300 years. The reasons for the union may no longer apply but there have been good recent strides to allow Scotland, Wales and NI more power to govern themselves away from Westminster, abilities to set some of their own policies. Just because one government (which ends in May next year) isn't to the countries liking is no reason to do a (somewhat) permanent solution to a temporary problem.
That idea sounds like the EU, which I am for (mainly due to trade) but things are unlikely to change on that front, however giving more power to each region is the way to do it. It sad that I've never really seen myself as English, but British yet have no control/no say in the outcome of something that affects my country. |
My mum is English, but has lived in Scotland for more than half her life. And you're right, any legal immigrants also have a vote. I don't remember if I said so already, but 97% of thsoe eligible to vote have registered to do so.
I don't think this is a "temporary" problem. Only twice since the last world war has Scotland's vote in the general election had any effect on the results. It kind of feels like we're allowed to help out in the garden, but we've been given a teaspoon next to England's shovel.
I agree that we've had some really good strengths together, but then I've never known any different - and neither have you. 1/4 million children in Scotland live below the poverty line, food banks are exploding exponentially. Can you blame people for wanting to take this chance to opt out?
(Personally, I didn't even consider myself British until very very recently). I've always identified as Scottish, it wasn't until a few years ago I realised that being "British" wasn't only something English people could be proud of, because that's how foreign TV always works (Watch any episode of any American TV show, "British" always refers to an English character and us Scots are described as, well, Scots... Growing up with that made it kind of difficult to automatically associate with that identity).
It isn't the particular party that irks me, personally. It's the entire system. And yes, I would MUCH prefer a more EU-type forum with more grounded delegates.
People always go on about how the British political system is so good because it's so established. But that's just ridiculous - just because it's old, doesn't mean it's fit for purpose. It's archaic and elitist and it needs to go. We need to remove ourselves from it, one way or another. And I'm not just speaking as a Scot. That last statement applies to all us Brits.
