There was no government for her to meet in NI.
I'm still not sure what was the point of her trip here.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Do we need an Indyref2 thread?
(189 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
-
There was no government for her to meet in NI.
She didn't really meet the SG here in any real sense.
My point was that if you say you are going to visit the devolved nations and miss one out it shows a lack of political awareness. But then her John Bull in a china shop approach is her supposed strength.
She will ignore the 69 to 59 vote for a section 30 request in the hope the SG will suffer from outrage fatigue.
A friend of mine said he thought Indy was now financial suicide. He admitted that brexit was similar but felt T May's crashing of economy would have a 'can't be allowed to fail' element and UK would devalue its way forward. Hostility mixed with indifference towards our self governance by our neighbours in the south was also a worry.Posted 7 years ago # -
Their disdain for Northern Ireland is clear and, I suspect, not unintentional.
Schedule 1 of the 1998 Belfast Agreement allows that;
2. Subject to paragraph 3, the Secretary of State shall exercise the power under paragraph 1 if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.
and they have been clear that they do not wish to see a border across Ireland. I think we have to consider the possibility that they are trying to nudge Northern Ireland out of the Union. It would be presented as strengthening the 1707 Union and 'Britishness'.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I guess the difference with N Ireland is that there is another country who's views need to be taken into account. My understanding from some from there is that the North is far more keen on unification than the South is.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I don't know where this talk of unification is coming from. I just can't see it happening until there is a clear majority in NI who want it. Any vote will be split along sectarian lines and the Unionists will have the majority for the foreseeable future.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@paddyirish
I wouldn't dare to suggest I know anything about the politics of Northern Ireland, but I can imagine what's in the mind of some of the Brexit Bunch.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Funny how we were debating the Irish border only 8 months ago.
Media seems to have finally caught up now.
It's odd as Scotland might still like to retain membership of single market and customs union if UK ever really leaves the EU.
Northern Ireland also voted remain but the DUP want to be in a more British state whilst having no borders with the EU.
If UK had just decided to stay in SM and CU then it would have been so easy - except the DUP might not have backed the Tories. Even a change to Lab won't reverse this at the moment.Posted 6 years ago # -
"If UK had just decided to stay in SM and CU" - you make it sound like they had a choice?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Cribbed from Economist:
"It is possible to be a member of just the customs union but not the single market (look at Turkey, Andorra or the Isle of Man). Conversely, it is possible to be a member of just the single market but not the customs union (take Norway or Iceland)."Posted 6 years ago # -
Not a lot seems to have happened in 8 months (except the lack of much talk of IndyRef2. Not surprising really, there are still enough unknown unknowns because of Brexit!)
"
Theresa May will head north of the border this week and attempt to defuse the SNP’s plan for a second referendum by focusing on a Brexit deal that delivers for Scotland.
With Nicola Sturgeon warning of hard Brexit, the Prime Minister will attempt to find common ground with the Scottish Government on access to the single market and protecting the rights of EU nationals.
"
POSTED 8 MONTHS AGO #
Posted 6 years ago # -
@LaidBack
yes but they were not previous members who left, its been made clear the EU will not agree to us leaving fully and picking and choosing the bits we want to keep, otherwise it would be a mockery of EU membership if members who leave get a better system than those who stay.What it sort of shows is that since we joined the common market back in the 70's we really should have had a vote on most things to do with the EU since then , rather than choices being decided for us and suddenly when we come to exit we realise (good or bad) just how entenched the EU state has become in Britain and how leaving is so difficult.
I'm neither for nor against BREXIT - i feel the EU is good and bad, just as being "alone" is good or bad - what i really hate is the fact that i feel we have so little say in the matter other than YES or NO black and white decisions.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@chdot
i feel Nicola went around the EU states post-brexit-vote to try and get a "nice" deal for Scotland and was categorically told - FULL MEMBER (inc. EURO + hard border) or nothing, so i'm not sure she wants to express that to the Scottish People at the moment until we see what Scotland gets from BREXIT.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@rider73 - Scot Gov must be justified in making proposals though. If Scotland was governed by Tory or Labour majority they may well say this is merely a 'regional matter' and say nothing. People in Scotland might be deluded in considering themselves living in an actual country but there seems to be some consensus that we cannot just be an extension of England with its larger population and monopoly of media.
Holyrood has made proposals and will keep doing so it seems. I think the real solution may be to go into EFTA. Lesley Riddoch's book McSmorgasbord is interesting read and also points out how slimly some Nordic countries voted to join EU.
With the right leaders there should be nothing to be afraid of and Scotland could even benefit - its economic performance could do with a boost.Meant to add that LibDems think there should be another EU settlement ref but not Indy2.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Further to my Gold Coast Cycling update...
Can someone remind me why Scotland is allowed to have an identity in the Commonwealth Games? This identity dosn't seem to deter our sports men and women either.Would a Team GB see off Australia or are we better off 'not together' in this case? It does seem odd as dominant mood in our UK weighted media is that we will become more of a 'one nation' as we are cast adrift between Europe and (future president) Zuckerberg's America.
I know sport isn't 'real life' and that sports people perform whatever brand they work for. However there is evidence that Team Scotland do feel an identity aligned to their home country. I'm sure Team England do as well. Is the CW ahead of its time? ;-)By the time we have Beach Volleyball in Birmingham 2022, Brexit will be a distant memory!.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I suspect that for the Commonwealth Games we can write our own rules and they wanted as many teams as they can get. Perhaps the Olympic organisers didn’t want multiple UK teams?
Posted 6 years ago # -
It's maybe down to the low participation in the first contest in the series - the 1930 British Empire Games. Only eleven teams took part, of which three were parts of the UK and one other represented the whole island of Ireland.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Combined uk countries won more medals than Aussies but not more golds
Posted 6 years ago # -
Report of the Sustainble Growth Commission:
https://www.sustainablegrowthcommission.scot/report
No mention of cycling, but rather disappointing to see that the big transport idea is to develop a hub airport in Scotland. I can't imagine a scenario where this is likely to happen as hub airports already exist in London and Amsterdam, but, if it did then it would be terrible for Scotland's carbon emissions and air quality.
Still, the economy...
Posted 5 years ago # -
geographically Scotland is more a kind of spoke nipple type location than a hub area.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Carbon emissions are a global issues so in a sense arbitrary if in Scotland England or in china. There may be some local pollution, also some noise issues. From watching shows on the internet think hub model is fading out from the air industry as smaller point to point 2 engine planes are used for longer haul. It used to be planes had to have more than 2 engines or were limited to being close to an airport so could not cross large water areas so the industry favours larger 3 or 4 engine planes. Airbus may end withdrawing the A380 as airlines choose smaller planes. A new hub could end up being a commercial disappointment in a point to point world
https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/15/the-airbus-a380-is-dead-airbus-just-hasnt-admitted.aspx
Posted 5 years ago # -
I notice that Norwegian are flying 737-MAX 8 across the Atlantic now.
Across the Atlantic in a 737!!
There was some famous quote about twin-jets crossing the Atlantic:
Dick Taylor, then Boeing's director of engineering approached FAA director J. Lynn Helms in 1980, whose response was "It'll be a cold day in hell before I let twins fly long haul, overwater routes."
Posted 5 years ago # -
For anyone interested in learning the reason modern twinjets (A330, B777, B787) now dominate long haul, it's because they've been designed to glide on one engine for a really really long time.
The safety standard is ETOPS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETOPS
Posted 5 years ago # -
Ed1 - you are, of course, correct about carbon emissions being a global issue. However, just two days ago the Scottish Government introduced a Bill that would set a legally binding target of a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (from 1990 levels), with an ambition of Scotland becoming carbon neutral. These targets include international aviation.
So which option does the Scottish Government really support - massively lower emissions or more flights? I can't really see how it can be both.
Details: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/108483.aspx
Posted 5 years ago # -
Seeing the Better Together re-union the other day really cheered me up. Confirms that things have changed here.
"There is no demand for more self governance" is their argument.
There was no demand for Brexit in Scotland either despite having to debate it endlessly. It seems we are a long way from converging our views with those of rUK. There was also no demand in Scotland to be run by the Tory party - or maybe there was with first Indy vote?! ;-)Posted 5 years ago # -
Bump?
"Sturgeon outlines new Scottish independence referendum plans"
Posted 5 years ago # -
“
These targets include international aviation.
So which option does the Scottish Government really support - massively lower emissions or more flights? I can't really see how it can be both.
“
Posted 5 years ago # -
"Sturgeon outlines new Scottish independence referendum plans"
Yay, cos we need another 2 years of half a country telling the other half it's stupid, and vice versa.
I think I'm heartily fed up with it all.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Is the irony totally missed by them. Although there would be positives and negatives, The one this this wont solve is Westminter's failure to govern because of their focus on Brexit.
If UK does eventually find a way out of a customs union I can't see how Scotland could be in a customs union with Europe and not have a hard border with England.
Posted 5 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
