Well that's independence.
In your earlier post #1159 you said Full autonomy is more likely. Essentially independence in all but name (my bold) which is why I asked the question because in my eyes not having responsibility for such matters as Foreign Affairs and Defence is some way short of independence.
Maybe i should've said that it's very close to independence, Scotland and Wales would have full control over internal matters like most independent countries but allow the UK to have control of Foreign Affairs and Defence and represent them at the UN.
Personally i'd prefer independence but failing that i think we need to have a relationship where internal matters are run in Wales and that sovereignty resides in Wales. The current relationship is as the First Minister put it one where powers are given to Wales but can be pulled back on a string at the whim of the UK government. What this UK government is doing with IMB and the prosperity fund is examples of that. If Wales and Scotland and NI are to remain in an union with England then i think some sort of equality needs to be brought into the relationship. Westminster and Cardiff and Stormont and Holyrood need to be seen as equals rather Westminster being the boss and all powers coming from it. I think that the relationship needs to be that Wales and Scotland and NI are giving powers to Westminster rather than the other way round. I genuinely don't think Boris Johnsons government is capable of coming up with a way to take any heat out of the independence movements and maybe a different UK government could but i don't think Johnson's government is capable let alone willing to firstly give up the powers required and secondly have the vision to radically change the constitutional nature of the UK.
The current system breeds inequality all round. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different levels of devolved powers and England has no devolved government at all. I mentioned in a recent post why I don't believe that it's possible for England to have a devolved government but that doesn't mean I think it should not.
The problem to me seems that many don't seem to differentiate between the UK and England seeing the UK more of an extension of England than England being an individual nation and devolution in England seems a bit haphazard and essentially glorified local authorities. Until attitudes change in England or the UK ends then some areas of England are going to miss out.
I was really responding to your comment in a previous post that some sort of equality needs to be brought into the relationship (with England) if the other home nations are to remain in the Union, and pointed out that some areas of England, particularly peripheral ones, are as badly off, worse off in some circumstances, than Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland when it comes to a relationship with the Westminster government. There are though some valid points about England made in your last post (#1165).
The australian model is a far better way to go.
www.bbc.co.uk
Going for a federal model like Australia or Germany or USA essentially states that the composite countries aren't countries they are states or regions of a bigger state. So what would happen to each individuals sports teams? Surely they can't continue in that scenario? Like those states there'd have to be 1 UK team to represent all.
Surely you'd be in favour of it? The EU is an organisation of sovereign countries working together and pooling resources so why would you be against Wales, Scotland and England individually doing that with the EU or with each other?
No doubt all part of the UK government's aim to keep the UK intact in the face of growing independence calls.Recently Grant Shapps announced £20 million for rail upgrades as part of the UK government's connect the union project and of course mentioned how the UK government wants to get on with the M4 and A55 but he also stated that 25% of the Welsh working population resident in Wales worked in England. Surprisingly the number is wrong and is much lower than that only 7% 100,000 people which is 3.2% of the Welsh population live in Wales and work in England. To me that is surprisingly considering how much empahisis is often put on the border politically.
UK Transport Secretary claim that 'a quarter of Welsh work in England' deleted
A claim by the UK Transport’s Secretary that a quarter of the Welsh population works in England has been deleted. Grant Shapps had made the claim in an interview with the BBC to promote a report arguing for the strengthening of cross-border rail and road links. But after Cardiff University’s...nation.cymru
www.bbc.co.uk
Hell no! Be better for the tournament if its a proper Grand Slam decider in Paris assuming that Wales beats Italy!Will Welsh fans be hoping that England win tomorrow? Might stick in the craw though.
Or would it be more fun playing France in Paris tomorrow week with both countries unbeaten (assuming Wales beat Italy tomorrow which as a neutral I will be amazed if they don't).
Sorry Jerry.
www.businessinsider.com
In many parts of the USA the Welsh tend to have good representation in mining towns but in general the Welsh-American identity isn't as strong as the Irish American identity as emigration wasn't as enmasse as in Ireland and England was for many more of an option than it was for many Irish.
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