Law and Rights
The referendum held on 5th May resulted in a decisive rejection of the "Alternative Vote" (AV) as a method of electing the House of Commons - "AV referendum: Britain overwhelmingly votes NO." 68% voted against AV with 32% in favour - the election turnout being around 40%. The background to this was covered in an earlier post on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 which, apart from the AV issue, seeks to reduce the number of parliamentary constituencies to 600.
Interesting questions now arise. How will the referendum result affect other constitutional reform proposals and will there be new issues arising? Of course, the campaign about AV saw members of the coalition government in opposing camps - in particular, the Prime Minister (against AV) and the Deputy Prime Minister (for AV). Whether this has irreparably fractured the coalition remains to be seen - see, for example, views expressed by Mr Vince Cable about the "ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal" Conservatives.
Currently going through Parliament is the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill which is now in the House of Lords and, according to the timetable, could become law by the end of May. Then there is the continuing and seemingly unsolvable issue of House of Lords reform. The Deputy Prime Minister was said to be about to introduce a reform bill with a view to achieving a House of Lords with a substantially elected membership but, it now appears, that such a reform may not receive sufficient political support particularly from the Conservatives - see Independent 7th May. Interestingly, well over 100 new peers have been created on the recommendation of Mr Cameron and the view has been expressed that the Lords is now "full" - BBC 20th April. and a "think tank" at University College London has reported on the size of the Lords and proposed some short term changes which it sees as urgent.
Potentially, the even
more difficult matter relates to the Union between England and Scotland. 5th May saw Scottish Parliamentary elections with the Scottish National Party securing an overall majority. This may well trigger an independence referendum in Scotland as a first step to severing the Union of England and Scotland which has endured since the Acts of Union came into force on 1st May 1707.
"THAT the two Kingdoms of Scotland and England shall ..... , and for ever after, be united into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN;...."
Will that be worth fighting for in the years to come?
(Note: The Union with Ireland Act 1800 brought union with Ireland but, in 1922, the Irish Free state came into being and, from December 1948, the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom with its own Assembly - Northern Ireland Act 1998).
Addendum 8th May: It seems that "within hours" of the AV referendum result, the Prime Minister informed the leader of the Scottish National Party that the UK government would not put up legal or political obstacles to the holding of an independence referendum in Scotland. The Guardian 8th May 2011.
See also - Herald Scotland - "Borrowing powers may be granted year earlier". It appears that money is needed for capital projects in Scotland and in late 2010 the Scottish Executive awarded a contract relating to a replacement Forth Road Bridge.
Readers may also be interested to look at the Scotland Bill currently before Parliament. The Bill will give the Scottish Parliament greater devolved powers in relation to a considerable range of matters including certain taxation matters (e.g. income tax), speed limits and drink-drive (excess alcohol) limits. A subtle but potentially very significant change is that the Scottish Executive will be renamed the "Scottish Government."
- The West Lothian Question ~ A Few Thoughts !
The so-called West Lothian question is a political and not legal question. It was asked as long ago as 1977 by Tam Dalyell MP who represented West Lothian from 1962 to 1983 and Linlithgow from 1983 to 2005. The question asks whether MPs from Northern...
- Scotland Voted No
Updated 22nd, 23rd September, 25th and 26th September The Scottish Independence referendum was held on 18th September. The turnout was 84.5% and NO votes totalled 2,001,926 and YES votes totalled 1,617,989. For more on the results see BBC...
- Scotland ~ The Eve Of The Referendum
18th September 2014 - Referendum Day in Scotland on the question of independence from the remainder of what is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "The Union" of the separate Crowns of Scotland and England came on 24th...
- Scotland And Its Currency In The Event Of Independence
Update 17th February: The Telegraph reported on a defiant speech by Alex Salmond. The speech delivered in Aberdeen claimed that the British government would back down with regard to its stance of no currency union in the event of independence....
- Scotland ~ Independence White Paper
Sgurr na Banachdich, Skye - 3166 ftOn 18th September 2014 (the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn - see post of 26th January 2012), a referendum will be held in Scotland to enable the Scottish electorate to decide whether to proceed to an...
Law and Rights
It's a NO to AV .... but .... what lies ahead?
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom |
Interesting questions now arise. How will the referendum result affect other constitutional reform proposals and will there be new issues arising? Of course, the campaign about AV saw members of the coalition government in opposing camps - in particular, the Prime Minister (against AV) and the Deputy Prime Minister (for AV). Whether this has irreparably fractured the coalition remains to be seen - see, for example, views expressed by Mr Vince Cable about the "ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal" Conservatives.
Currently going through Parliament is the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill which is now in the House of Lords and, according to the timetable, could become law by the end of May. Then there is the continuing and seemingly unsolvable issue of House of Lords reform. The Deputy Prime Minister was said to be about to introduce a reform bill with a view to achieving a House of Lords with a substantially elected membership but, it now appears, that such a reform may not receive sufficient political support particularly from the Conservatives - see Independent 7th May. Interestingly, well over 100 new peers have been created on the recommendation of Mr Cameron and the view has been expressed that the Lords is now "full" - BBC 20th April. and a "think tank" at University College London has reported on the size of the Lords and proposed some short term changes which it sees as urgent.
Potentially, the even
more difficult matter relates to the Union between England and Scotland. 5th May saw Scottish Parliamentary elections with the Scottish National Party securing an overall majority. This may well trigger an independence referendum in Scotland as a first step to severing the Union of England and Scotland which has endured since the Acts of Union came into force on 1st May 1707.
"THAT the two Kingdoms of Scotland and England shall ..... , and for ever after, be united into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN;...."
Will that be worth fighting for in the years to come?
(Note: The Union with Ireland Act 1800 brought union with Ireland but, in 1922, the Irish Free state came into being and, from December 1948, the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom with its own Assembly - Northern Ireland Act 1998).
Addendum 8th May: It seems that "within hours" of the AV referendum result, the Prime Minister informed the leader of the Scottish National Party that the UK government would not put up legal or political obstacles to the holding of an independence referendum in Scotland. The Guardian 8th May 2011.
See also - Herald Scotland - "Borrowing powers may be granted year earlier". It appears that money is needed for capital projects in Scotland and in late 2010 the Scottish Executive awarded a contract relating to a replacement Forth Road Bridge.
Readers may also be interested to look at the Scotland Bill currently before Parliament. The Bill will give the Scottish Parliament greater devolved powers in relation to a considerable range of matters including certain taxation matters (e.g. income tax), speed limits and drink-drive (excess alcohol) limits. A subtle but potentially very significant change is that the Scottish Executive will be renamed the "Scottish Government."
- The West Lothian Question ~ A Few Thoughts !
The so-called West Lothian question is a political and not legal question. It was asked as long ago as 1977 by Tam Dalyell MP who represented West Lothian from 1962 to 1983 and Linlithgow from 1983 to 2005. The question asks whether MPs from Northern...
- Scotland Voted No
Updated 22nd, 23rd September, 25th and 26th September The Scottish Independence referendum was held on 18th September. The turnout was 84.5% and NO votes totalled 2,001,926 and YES votes totalled 1,617,989. For more on the results see BBC...
- Scotland ~ The Eve Of The Referendum
18th September 2014 - Referendum Day in Scotland on the question of independence from the remainder of what is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "The Union" of the separate Crowns of Scotland and England came on 24th...
- Scotland And Its Currency In The Event Of Independence
Update 17th February: The Telegraph reported on a defiant speech by Alex Salmond. The speech delivered in Aberdeen claimed that the British government would back down with regard to its stance of no currency union in the event of independence....
- Scotland ~ Independence White Paper
Sgurr na Banachdich, Skye - 3166 ftOn 18th September 2014 (the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn - see post of 26th January 2012), a referendum will be held in Scotland to enable the Scottish electorate to decide whether to proceed to an...