Back from London
I am just back from a trip to London, discussing the BBC's coverage of the UK in these devolved times. The visit coincided with the publication of Ken Clarke's report on the West Lothian question. It finessed the earlier Tory policy on "English votes on English laws", but may still provoke concerns amongst unionists worried about becoming "2nd class" MPs.
If the Conservatives do adopt the Clarke report as official policy it will be interesting to see how they deal with grey areas, like social security benefits. Supposedly devolved, in practice the Assembly follows the "parity principle" with such benefits.
In recent debates, when Sinn Fein has been critical of Margaret Ritchie over the details of benefits, she has tended to tell them they should take their Westminster seats in order to scrutinise the underlying policy. So what would happen to "parity" if local MPs were excluded from scrutinising this kind of legislation?
As I sat on a train on the District Line, I can't say I heard anyone discussing the West Lothian question. However plenty of my fellow travellers were talking tennis on their way to Wimbledon. In its own way the Andy Murray saga said as much about the state of the union as the Clarke report, with the former Tory Minister David Mellor telling the truculent Scot to wrap himself in the Union Flag. The strangely familiar debate about national identity and sporting allegiance filled up the airwaves in England, but in the end Raphael Nadal settled the matter in straight sets.
I am away on a couple of days leave, but will be back at the weekend with Inside Politics, and a fresh posting here. .
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~10~RS~)
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I am sure if Adams and his other SF/IRA Westminster MP's asked they could get seats and offices in Westminster beside their new best mates the DUP. That might make them abit more comfortable in Westminster knowing they are beside their new buddies who when in Westminster act tough on terror, but who at the same time swing the Stormont doors open to terrorism and walk in with them hand in hand.
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Mark, I can assure you that there is a lot of conversation in England about the Union - much of it openly favouring independence for England (or at least for Scotland - it is that country rather than Wales or NI that has caused the most resentment because of the way that the Scottish Government have given the people of Scotland so many free privileges - free University tuition, free prescriptions, free residential care for the elderly, removal of all road tolls - without any corresponding tax increase). It is perceived in England - rightly or wrongly - that England subsidises Scotland.
All of this is ignored by all political parties in England of course, because they are terrified of splitting the Union with Scotland thus jeopardising their places on the world stage. Fact is, most non-politicians couldn't give a monkeys about that. Most of us just want good hospital, good schools, a transport system that works, roads that are free and well maintained, and clean streets.
Much less is said about NI either by the pro or anti Unionist side.
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The result of that particular tennis match is a good illustration of where Scotland would stand on the world stage if they did become independent.
Still, at least they would have the consolation of being quarter finalists - NI wouldn't make it past pre-qualifying.
Moving on to what SuperJulianR said: the reason neither the pro nor anti-union side talk about NI is because they know they're stuck with us.
On a totally separate issue, why are they sending Martin McGuinness to Iraq? What's he going to say? "Talk a good fight until it becomes blindingly obvious to even your stupidest footsoldier that you haven't pushed your enemy back a single inch and you can't break wind without some enemy spy smelling it, then give in to every demand your political opponents make before agreeing to become their junior partners in government where they will block every measure you try to introduce."
Would they not be better sending the Swiss or the Scots or somebody that has managed to do without shooting somebody else for slightly more than a decade?
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RJ (post 3):
I am delighted that we (England) are "stuck with you" as you put it.
There is no logic to Gordon Brown's policy of forcing Scotland to stay in the Union when they clearly do not want to be part of it, whilst pushing NI away when so many of you DO want to be part of it, except presumably to save his own political skin as a Scottish politician who wants to rule England Wales and NI, and pretend that he is in the world's big league by strutting about on the world stage on te coat-tails of the the US.
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NI costs a fortune, Scotland has oil.
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How about independence for Scotland but with Northern Ireland included as part of the package? That way the SNP and Sinn Fein would be able to escape from England, meanwhile the NI Unionists could keep their links with Scottish Protestants. Has anyone suggested this before?
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that is good news, that you are learning about evolving in the newer times...
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