Okay, I’ll admit, quid is the only “Britishism” I could work into the title. But the UK election right now is more fascinating than anything we’re likely to see over here. Some highlights:
- The Scottish Nationalist Party lost a sovereignty referendum, but looks to almost entirely dominate Scotland. Who wants to get in bed with a bunch of people looking to leave the country?
- Every election promises to be the one where the Green Party breaks out. It never happens. But maybe this time?
- The UK Independence Party has been given exclusive rights to loathe the EU in the election. They are also a bunch of anti-immigrants who leave voters with that icky feeling.
- The Liberal Democrats were the sensible, smart choice for many voters…until they threw in with the Conservatives in government. Now they get all the blame, none of the credit.
- The Conservatives and Labor. The “winner” gets to try to assemble and maintain a governing coalition.
- And that doesn’t even get into the three candidates who will be elected to Parliament, and never take their seats.
If none of that made sense to you, this introduction from fivethirtyeight.com is a good place to start. That said, what’s your take on the race? What do you want to have happen?
Please share widely!
I would like to see Labour win with a plurality but not a majority and be dependent on SNP and the Greens.
The path to a majority is very difficult for the Tories because their coalition partner–the Lib Dems–are going to be destroyed. And the Lib Dems deserve it. The Orange Book-type Lib Dems are probably just going to vote Tory, and the Beveridge Group-type Lib Dems would just go Labour. They ran to the left of Labour last time with a decent college student backing, and they screwed over their supporters.
I’d probably be OK with Labour, Lib-Dem, or a coalition thereof.
On anything beyond sovereignty, they are arguably a pleasant liberalish bunch. And on sovereignty, the Scots would have to vote again.
Frankly, if the Brits are smart, they should the SNP on the inside. Scots are already pissed that all the grand promises made to them before the referendum are being completely ignored. It’s not the first vote on sovereignty you need to watch out for; it’s the second when you’ve blown your chance to make nice.
He got as high as VP among other things. Didn’t stop the Confederates from seceding starting with his own state. If you try to break away from a certain polity you shouldn’t be so soon allowed a hand in governing it.
The UK system isn’t nearly as federal as ours and does not have the constitutional glue we have. It’s also worth noting that the secession vote was a fully democratic referendum all citizens could vote on and agreed to by all parties. The CSA only allowed a small minority of it’s population to elect representatives (white male property owners) to make decisions on their behalf-and it was widely known at the founding and throughout the antebellum crisis that the right to secession was non existent and did not wrest with state governments.
They selfishly broke the Constitution to slave slavery and were met with a just reward. The entire Scotch population exercising their democratic rights is entirely different. It’s also worth noting that Salmond stepped down and honored the results of the election. The bigger question is how Labor could invite the SNP if it has vowed not to, and is losing ground to them decisively in it’s old industrial base while suburban English voters are reluctant to vote red if it means SNP in government.
other than the Grand Army of the Republic
The best way to nip succession talk in the bud is to make the people who want to succeed feel empowered and like they belong. Making them members of the governing coalition is a pretty good way to do that.
While I’m sure many politicians would like to ostracize the group, that could only drive them further away.
Don’t forget, a big reason why many Scots considered succession is they were sick of electing governments that weren’t representing the sort of policies that Scots by and large support.
Of course, my middle name is “MacLeod”, and my family mythology has me as a proud descendant of THE MacLeods (I don’t know how much truth there is in it).
In my view, the UK has exploited Scotland long enough. I hope that secession happens and does so without violence.
If not direct descent then sometimes vassals connected to the clan take the clan name. By descent I should be too. My clan is Fraser of Lovett and in my case I’m pretty sure directly tied genealogically to the clan. We were Jacobites and one of my collateral ancestors has the dubious distinction of being the last person ever to lose his head in the Tower of London for his trouble. I favor union, but if they do end up splitting maybe they will invite the “King Over The Water” to return:)
we’ll gather and go/and live or die for Charlie.”
Bonnie Charlie’s now awa’
Safely owre the friendly main;
Mony a heart will break in twa,
Should he ne’er come back again.
I’m afraid I’m such a nit, that I can’t take a real stand in this election. 😉
Where the liberal minority government depended on support from Irish nationalists. Of course, the Liberals had supported Irish Home Rule as early as the 1880s, so it was more of a natural coalition.
(It’s one of the great ironies of history that the Irish Parliamentarians finally passed the Government of Ireland Act in 1914, only to have suspended “temporally” due to WWI, eventually leading to the Irish Revolution, the partition of Ireland, and the Irish Civil War.)