I’ll leave aside for the moment the vexed issue of whether Scotland, with its devolved government, should even have MP’s at Westminster, (what’s known as the ‘West Lothian Question’).
Oh, what the hell, it’s the weekend and I need a wonky digression with my croissants.
Named after Tam Dalyell, MP for West Lothian, who raised the question of the participation of MPs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK Parliament after devolution.
In a debate on devolution to Scotland and Wales on 14 November 1977, Mr Dalyell said: ?For how long will English constituencies and English Honourable members tolerate?at least 119 Honourable Members from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercising an important, and probably often decisive, effect on British politics while they themselves have no say in the same matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.?
Which is why Dumfermline’s massive swing to the Lib Dems, despite their recent sex scandals and upsets, was so important, When you’re that reliant on Scotland and Scotland is against you to the tune of overturning an 11,000 majority, and the turnout in a minor election is 49 per cent, higher than in any byelection in the last Parliament and higher than in all but two by-elections since 1997, well, then you’ve got trouble.
A sample of Scots opinion on Labour’s economic performance , for example:
The old divisions over the constitution, between left and right, are vanishing. The battle lines over the economy are blurring, as people begin to focus less on ideology and more on the mystery of why the Scottish economy has performed so badly for so long. The revelations in recently-released cabinet papers about how UK ministers in the 1970s conspired to conceal the extent of Scotland’s oil wealth has created a widespread sense of weary exasperation. It’s kind of what we all knew anyway ? but discovering that they were so blatant about it, really does rankle.
Add these economic woes, all the lies over Iraq, the travails of the Scottish regiments, environmental worries, and all the other toxic ingredients to the purely Scots gripes and it’s potently negative, which bodes ill for Tony’s anointed successor Gordon Brown, who seems to think he’s just going to stroll into No. 10 with no democratic input from the voters.
Brown’s seat is right next door to Dumfermline, and Brown is reputed to be a power in Scottish Labour. That he didn’t spot this defeat coming is giving even the uber-faithful severe doubts as his future leadership. It also makes his existing place in the Commons look very precarious indeed. Double-plus ungood for Gordon, and not good for Tony either, who wants to control the party from beyond the political grave, as it were ( where grave = a comfy chaimanmanship at the Carlyle Group, but that’s a whole other story) .
The government is on shaky ground as it is, with backbench rebellions looming on Blair’s ‘legacy’ education and public services reforms, and defeat over ID cards possible. Did I mention Iraq and civil liberties? Blair himself has a media-wise and telegenic opponent in David Cameron, who, whatever you think of his politics, makes Blair and Brown both look old, tired and raddled. Blair’s best shot at Cameron, the purloined from Rove ( which act speaks words in itself) ‘flip-flop’ comment, has failed to take like they hoped.
It will be poetic justice should it be Scotland that brings down New Labour, since they’ve sent so many of their young people to their illegal war. A total of 16 Scottish soldiers, out of a total 100 British deaths, have given their lives for lies since the war in Iraq started and Scots regiments served multiple tours, only to be shat on from a great height by Blair’s amalgamation of the historic Scots regiments and his cuts to actual defence, as opposed to military/ industrial, funding. Labour has taken Scotland for granted for far too long.
