In 1988, Gordon Brown signed something called the Scottish Claim of Right which said,
We, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of Government best suited to their needs, and do hereby declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount.
An interesting declaration certainly, and one which is absolutely right in terms of the self-detrmination of our jock cousins North of the Badlands to which they constantly raided and caused my ancestors grief (I'm not bitter). However the fact that the
UK Prime Minister has signed a declaration saying that the interests of the Scottish people are paramount to him, is a bit odd, no? A motion has now been
tabled calling on him to disassociate himself from it.
That this House recognises that the Prime Minister is a signatory to the Scottish Claim of Right in which he declared and pledged that in all his actions and deliberations the interests of the Scottish people `shall be paramount'; believes that by declaring that the interests of the Scottish people should come first he has committed himself to discriminating against the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland; considers this to be incompatible with being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in which office the interests of all UK people should be equal; and calls on him publicly to disassociate himself from and withdraw from the Scottish Claim of Right.
I can't say that I disagree with the motion. In 1997, Tony Blair refused to endorse the "Claim of Right", will Brown?
6 comments:
Good stuff.
Arguably, of course, Blair acted as if he'd signed the damn thing, with that disgraceful "devolution of power but don't worry you can still vote on English issues so Labour retains a national majority" crap.
I wonder how Brown will respond. "I was young and I needed the votes"?
About time someone pulled him up on this one. This is a huge issue.
The Auld Enemy mentality has become government policy and not a single newspaper has called them on it.
He should withdraw the pledge or resign immediately!
I rather suspect that, if an English PM had signed a similar declaration to promote English interests above all else, we would be hearing rather more about it than we are over this particular anomoly.
I recomend every one to write to their MP urging them to sign this EDM
Fact is that Labour have destroyed our country. I'll never forgive them.
As a Scot ( and Proud of it) with English Grandparents I can see both sides of the argument.
This Government has failed to address the West Lothian Question. I have no doubts the Scots have the right to vote on issues devolved. However, I do not believe that Scottish MPs should be allowed to vote on purely English Matters. Why should this Government push through legislation on the strength of votes of Scottish MPs on measures for England & Wales? Fair is Fair. Allow Scotland to decide the direction of Scotland and England to decide for England! This should be a United Kingdom based on equal partners!
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