Re: Scottish Referendum : Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:51 pm  

Wellsy13 wrote:

The death penalty in certain states of the UK would be interesting...!

Mandatory death penalty for everyone in Merseyside.

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 pm  

Wellsy13 wrote:

The death penalty in certain states of the UK would be interesting...!

Especially when that "state" was forced to leave the EU

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:24 am  

I'm not sure why there would be any issues becoming a federal system, all you need to do is devolve the same things to the regions that Scotland gets and turn the HoL into an elected second chamber to oversea the regions and control the non-devolved issues.

Then we'd be only one step away for getting rid of Liz and her accidents of birth and have an elected head of state.

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:46 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

I'm not sure why there would be any issues becoming a federal system, all you need to do is devolve the same things to the regions that Scotland gets and turn the HoL into an elected second chamber to oversea the regions and control the non-devolved issues.

Then we'd be only one step away for getting rid of Liz and her accidents of birth and have an elected head of state.

Where do I sign?

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:59 am  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

Driving licences are done by each state.

Is it possible to be declined a licence in one state for, say, health reasons rather than an accumulated points ban or drink driving conviction, and then apply for a licence in another state and be granted one ?

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:06 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

I'm not sure why there would be any issues becoming a federal system, all you need to do is devolve the same things to the regions that Scotland gets and turn the HoL into an elected second chamber to oversea the regions and control the non-devolved issues.

Then we'd be only one step away for getting rid of Liz and her accidents of birth and have an elected head of state.

Who would set income tax rates in England?

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:12 am  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

Driving licences are done by each state.

They are, but I don't think it would be necessary in a federal UK, unless each state opted for different road traffic laws (which would be interesting I suppose). 80mph national speed limit changing to 70mph as you cross a state border, and learning to drive at 16 or 18 rather than 17 dependent in youth issues in each state. Curfews.

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:45 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

Is it possible to be declined a licence in one state for, say, health reasons rather than an accumulated points ban or drink driving conviction, and then apply for a licence in another state and be granted one ?

It certainly used to be possible here.

In 1971 I copped a 12 month ban for being over the limit, I then went and worked the summer season in Guernsey. While there I took one driving lesson and put in for my test. Passed that, got my Guernsey driver's licence and drove on that when I returned to the mainland, until my UK licence was returned

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:18 am  

Wellsy13 wrote:

Like I say, I'd need to know more about what the other models operate like before even coming up with an answer to the latter.
The former is an interesting one. I used the current regions of England as an example, but I probably wouldn't use them exactly. I think there'd need to be some form of identity and culture behind each state, but accept that would be fairly difficult to achieve!

I'll give it a stab though!...
So the Federal States of the UK:
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
London State (current London region)
Cumbria & Northumbria (North East region plus Cumbria)
Yorkshire (current Yorkshire & Humber region minus the North Lincolnshire counties)
Lancashire (North West region minus Cumbria)
West Midlands (current region)
East Midlands (current region plus North Lincolnshire counties)
Anglia (East of England region)
South East England (current region)
West Country (South West minus Cornwall)
Cornwall (current county)

There's probably something better than the names I've suggested, but I've tried to stick closely with the current regions with a few cultural shifts I'm aware of such as Cornwall, who have an independence movement, and Cumbria being aligned with the lesser-populated North East than Lancashire (who would have a far better local connection to the name than "North West").

Scotland isn't a region, it's a country. It has it's own Parliament. Wales isn't a region, it's a country. It has it's own Northern Ireland isn't a region, it's a country. It has it's own Parliament. England is a country. It doesn't have it's own Parliament.

That is the answer. An English Parliament with English MP's voting on laws for the English.

Regional devolution is a Labour party tactic to deflect from the West Lothian question & to try & gloss over it's blatant self interest. Miliband talks of the political class & Westminster elite not working for the people, yet he is doing exactly that by denying the English the same as the Scots in order to keep at least 40 Labour MP's in Westminster.

he knows that the domino effect of England & then perhaps the Weslh following Scotland will decimate the Labour party. Self interest before democracy.

Re: Scottish Referendum : Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:21 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

I'm not sure why there would be any issues becoming a federal system, all you need to do is devolve the same things to the regions that Scotland gets and turn the HoL into an elected second chamber to oversea the regions and control the non-devolved issues.

Then we'd be only one step away for getting rid of Liz and her accidents of birth and have an elected head of state.

I'd happily sign up to there being four countries, each with it's own parliaments, with the West Lothian question cleared up once & for all, & with the Lords swept away.

Regional devolution is a sham to help Labour avoid losing 40+ MP's