Letter to Glasgow Herald

Dear Sir,

My thanks to the Herald for publishing my two recent letters and to those people who have responded adding to the debate about the future, if any, of the United Kingdom.

I believe the UK achieved great things in the last 300 years and, despite flaws, it gave the world far more positive benefits than any other ‘Imperial’ power has in the last 1000 years. I am happy with the idea of Devolution but only if it is equitably applied. If you are a good parent, you do not give one child a slice of cake, two a few crumbs and the fourth sent empty away from the table, without that leading to family problems.

Iain Mann (18th April) brings up the usual Scottish chestnut about Margaret Thatcher. Well, before 1999 there was one and the same UK Parliament and, in a democracy, you have to accept the wishes of the majority are paramount, like it or not. Just as the people of the Highlands and Islands have to accept that a Scottish Parliament will impose the wishes of the Lowlands.

He is incorrect in saying English MPs have a vote on bills relating solely to Scottish matters. Scottish matters are devolved to Edinburgh where there are no English representatives. However, Scottish MPs in the UK Parliament do have a vote on solely English matters.

Allan Johnston (18th April) claims the English took Scotland to war in Iraq, but how did they manage that? There is no English Parliament to make such a decision.

Donnie MacNeill (18th April) complains about receiving ‘housekeeping money’, how lucky you are, I wish England was so generously financed. Under the Barnet Formula, Scotland received 10% of the Great Britain spend (I use GB deliberately) but only has 9% of the population. That means Scotland receives £8 billion more funding than it would if it was financed to the same level as England – and yes, I have taken North Sea Oil Tax into account on the assumption it is all Scottish – which of course it would not be if Scotland were independent as the southern oil fields would be in English waters.

The current hotchpotch Devolutionary system is not the fault of the people of Scotland, it was simply created by New Labour for their principal benefit and a minority of Scottish people voted for it, but then that’s one of the quirks of democracy for you.