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[Silas Vitalia]

What sort of representation does Scotland get in the UK for decision making in exchange for their membership and sending oil/etc to Westminster?

Honest question

[Ibrahim Tash-Murkon]

for the american posters, the member nation veto power would be like... take the US Senate. Now, imagine that instead of a majority of senators voting for something, it required unanimity, that every single senator had the ability to veto any piece of legislation. that's what the EU has at the moment, kind of.

Actually, and not to argue against your point so much as to just point out something interesting, thanks to anonymous holds and tag team holds, in practice a single senator can make sure a bill never reaches the floor for a vote without the public knowing who it is and two or more senators can make sure it's kept off the floor forever and in secret.

[Nmaro Makari]

What sort of representation does Scotland get in the UK for decision making in exchange for their membership and sending oil/etc to Westminster?

Honest question

Off the top of my head:

59 seats in the House of Commons (this number was reduced when they established a Scottish Parliament for a chunk of domestic policy), out of about 650, small but Scotland also has 11% (roughly) of the population and also I believe about 10% stake in the Bank of England (lender of last resort).  Under-representation would be a bigger issue if the last Prime Minister and Chancellor (moneybags) hand't been Scots, and also if there weren't Scots in key positions in the opposition and the government. Scots are also very well represented in industry, business and trade unions.

It would be a strong mitigating factor IF the upper chamber, the House of Lords was a) elected or partially elected) and b) if it went on equal representation for the 4 nations, i.e. 50 lords for Wales, 50 for Scotland etc. Right now governments just cram the Lords full of anyone who'll accept the seat, so it doesn't really factor in, especially because since it is an unelected chamber it's powers are clipped severely.

[Silas Vitalia]

What sort of representation does Scotland get in the UK for decision making in exchange for their membership and sending oil/etc to Westminster?

Honest question

Off the top of my head:

59 seats in the House of Commons (this number was reduced when they established a Scottish Parliament for a chunk of domestic policy), out of about 650, small but Scotland also has 11% (roughly) of the population and also I believe about 10% stake in the Bank of England (lender of last resort).  Under-representation would be a bigger issue if the last Prime Minister and Chancellor (moneybags) hand't been Scots, and also if there weren't Scots in key positions in the opposition and the government. Scots are also very well represented in industry, business and trade unions.

It would be a strong mitigating factor IF the upper chamber, the House of Lords was a) elected or partially elected) and b) if it went on equal representation for the 4 nations, i.e. 50 lords for Wales, 50 for Scotland etc. Right now governments just cram the Lords full of anyone who'll accept the seat, so it doesn't really factor in, especially because since it is an unelected chamber it's powers are clipped severely.

Incredibly stupid question, but the house of lords members aren't elected? Hereditary title? I thought you guys got rid of that stuff when the Monarchy stopped making the laws?

[Louella Dougans]

house of lords members are appointed. The hereditary peers no longer sit in the house of lords.

[Nmaro Makari]

What sort of representation does Scotland get in the UK for decision making in exchange for their membership and sending oil/etc to Westminster?

Honest question

Off the top of my head:

59 seats in the House of Commons (this number was reduced when they established a Scottish Parliament for a chunk of domestic policy), out of about 650, small but Scotland also has 11% (roughly) of the population and also I believe about 10% stake in the Bank of England (lender of last resort).  Under-representation would be a bigger issue if the last Prime Minister and Chancellor (moneybags) hand't been Scots, and also if there weren't Scots in key positions in the opposition and the government. Scots are also very well represented in industry, business and trade unions.

It would be a strong mitigating factor IF the upper chamber, the House of Lords was a) elected or partially elected) and b) if it went on equal representation for the 4 nations, i.e. 50 lords for Wales, 50 for Scotland etc. Right now governments just cram the Lords full of anyone who'll accept the seat, so it doesn't really factor in, especially because since it is an unelected chamber it's powers are clipped severely.

Incredibly stupid question, but the house of lords members aren't elected? Hereditary title? I thought you guys got rid of that stuff when the Monarchy stopped making the laws?

There were a mix of hereditary and "Life Peers", up until about 1997(?), and some time before that I think, there was a ban on creating more hereditary titles. Oh, explaining a little more, a "Life Peer" is someone who is given their peerage, which lasts as long as they live but comes with no lands or associated power, and can't be inherited. 1997 was when hereditary peers were told only a handful could sit in the lords, about 80 something I think, out of about 750

Life Peers are appointed, technically by Her Majesty the Queen, but in reality the parties in the Commons send her a list and she signs it off without much of a glance. They're a mixed bag, along with all the political grandees and hasbeens looking for a retirement home with fancy garb, they also include scientists, writers, lawyers, actors, military leaders, industry leaders and basically anyone with some kind of professional achievement. Oh and the Bishops of the Church of England.

It's a bit fucked, to be honest. Quite a few peers don't even turn up much, not least because there's so many they couldn't even fit in the chamber.


Edit: In my ideal fantasy world, Lords would be elected and loose their title when they leave, and the house would function much like the US Senate, only instead of 2 for each state, somewhere in the region of 50-75. We have fewer states.

[Louella Dougans]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-polling-station-graffiti-sparks-accusations-of-voter-intimidation-during-referendum-vote-9741015.html

" a polling station was sprayed with graffiti warning: “Vote Yes – or else"."

"one Yes supporter, aged 44, was arrested by police after allegedly assaulting a man he believed would be voting No. "

"One RIC organiser said his organisation and others couldn’t be held responsible “for what would happen if there is a No vote. Will there be trouble? I hope not – but there are no guarantees.”"

"an elderly man who is registered blind and who usually carried a white walking stick is reported to have been punched in the face by a Yes supporter. The incident yesterday is said to have occurred when the man was handing out pro-union leaflets in the city’s George Square."


Scotland. Democracy. PICK ONE.

[Silas Vitalia]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-polling-station-graffiti-sparks-accusations-of-voter-intimidation-during-referendum-vote-9741015.html

" a polling station was sprayed with graffiti warning: “Vote Yes – or else"."

"one Yes supporter, aged 44, was arrested by police after allegedly assaulting a man he believed would be voting No. "

"One RIC organiser said his organisation and others couldn’t be held responsible “for what would happen if there is a No vote. Will there be trouble? I hope not – but there are no guarantees.”"

"an elderly man who is registered blind and who usually carried a white walking stick is reported to have been punched in the face by a Yes supporter. The incident yesterday is said to have occurred when the man was handing out pro-union leaflets in the city’s George Square."


Scotland. Democracy. PICK ONE.

You guys are amateurs at this voter intimidation/ disenfranchisement thing, come to the South here and be black; they still pass actual laws here to make certain classes and races of people less likely to vote.

It was less than 60 years ago people were getting shot here for trying to get some of our underclass to register



le sigh.

[Karmilla Strife]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-polling-station-graffiti-sparks-accusations-of-voter-intimidation-during-referendum-vote-9741015.html

" a polling station was sprayed with graffiti warning: “Vote Yes – or else"."

"one Yes supporter, aged 44, was arrested by police after allegedly assaulting a man he believed would be voting No. "

"One RIC organiser said his organisation and others couldn’t be held responsible “for what would happen if there is a No vote. Will there be trouble? I hope not – but there are no guarantees.”"

"an elderly man who is registered blind and who usually carried a white walking stick is reported to have been punched in the face by a Yes supporter. The incident yesterday is said to have occurred when the man was handing out pro-union leaflets in the city’s George Square."


Scotland. Democracy. PICK ONE.

You guys are amateurs at this voter intimidation/ disenfranchisement thing, come to the South here and be black; they still pass actual laws here to make certain classes and races of people less likely to vote.

It was less than 60 years ago people were getting shot here for trying to get some of our underclass to register



le sigh.

Not satisfied with making it difficult to vote. Virginia has technically made it illegal for minorities (technically anyone but minorities are affected disproportionately) to rent,gain employment, as well as vote without state ID and a background check. Best of all, we're one of those "battleground" half-liberal states.

Back on subject: I hope Scotland stays in the UK. I'm not certain the "yes" crowd fully understands the social and political capital they have simply by being members of the UK.

[Jace]

Most Yes people I have talked to are responding with "We'll never get this chance again."

[Karmilla Strife]

The sentiment seemed similar in the mid-90's when I was spending summers in Quebec. I agree that it's a historic occasion. The significance doesn't necessarily warrant a vote either way in my opinion. Though I'm admittedly an outsider and my opinion should be treated as such.

[Lunarisse Aspenstar]

BBC is now calling the election for "no", that  is Scotland remains.
Of course votes are still being counted.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29270441

[Jace]

Yeah, it is going to be a no. How boring.

[Louella Dougans]

there's still lots of votes to come in

teh divisions are going to take a long time to heal.

a tiny minority on both sides brought shame to all of scotland.

the world was watching, an d they chose to be an ass.

[Jace]

Most of the pollsters I saw were giving it an astronomically low chance of passing. So this was expected at this point.