It's official. The date for an independent Scotland will be...

fulmar

If an Independent Scotland means that RBS goes back to its lair in Edinburgh and gives us back Nat west to England & wales then I say Bring It On.

Loughton_Monkey

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

She meets with the PM every week, does she?

I have no doubt she offers advice (after nearly 60 years on the throne and twelve different prime ministers - from Winston Churchill to Dave Cameron, I'm sure she has some sage advice, experience, knowledge and recommendations).

I'm aware that she has a role in approving any bills passed through parliament, my overall understanding of our monarchy is that they do not get involved in the political day to day ongoings.

The Queen may be the font of authority, but it is not her role to determine who should receive her invitation to exercise that authority, nor administer it.

The present-day concept of a constitutional monarchy , where the democratically elected parliaments, and their leader, the prime minister, exercise power, with the monarchs having ceded power and remaining as a titular position.

But you see this is the trouble. Or indeed the 'blessing'.

The current situation exists purely by 'convention' and precedent. This is something, I suspect, the UK 'family' [population] prefer. But that doesn't alter the legal issues of our unique constitution.

Here is a scenario, that I believe could happen.....

In 2030, when King Charles is 82, and still 'compos mentis' [and I say that comparatively. In other words he has all the marbles he has now], the Prime Minister of the day updates him on some forthcoming planning legislation [crisis, we need more houses] and energy legislation [we need more nuclear power. Fast].......

King Charles advises that he wouldn't take 'too kindly' to building so much on green belts and bunging in Nuclear energy when greener options exist....

A month or two later when the issues have been thoroughly debated in both houses, and the law is 'passed' for Royal ascent, King Charles could literally refuse to sign it. It would not then be law.

His advisors would no doubt council him adequately about the constitutional crisis he is forging, but he could ignore all that and dig his heals in. It could even be over some relatively 'trivial' issue, but one on which neither King Charles, or the PM will concede.

Something like this would have every strand of monarchy, and every strand of parliament running around like headless chickens as there's no logical way out of it. Our 'Constitution' simple doesn't allow for this happening. Whatever we did next, as a country, would be 'wrong'. Either we accept what would, after all, be a return to 'Royal Dictatorship' or we would have to have some form of re-write of the constitution, passed by 'common consent' and dissolve the monarchy. Hell! There could even be a civil war over it but that's unlikely.

All we can hope is that Queen Camilla calms him down, gives him a very large gin & tonic, and prevents him from making a fool of himself. Or maybe 'puts something in it'.

I feel a novel coming on........

ruggedtoast

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. This means that, while The Sovereign is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament.

I therefore don't believe the Queen is "an active hands-on monarch, meeting the PM every week, discussing proposals, advising, warning, etc etc"

Regardless, what is wrong with being an independent country like Canada or Australia whilst retaining the Queen as the monarch?

Nothing. But after moaning ceaselessly, specifically about the venality of Westminster, and the repulsiveness of the Conservative government, it seems rather incongruous to want to keep the total embodiment of the grace and favour privilege that these two institutions represent as one's head of state as one marches off into the bold new horizon of Nordic fairness and equality for all. A paradigm which is not well embodied by the leeches in the House of Windsor.

SailorSam

They were saying on the news last night that if it's a Yes vote and we do get an independant Scotland that will be a loss of approx 40 Labour MPs, Will that mean here in England we're going to have a stronger Tory majority for years to come.

Loughton_Monkey

The White Paper is just out, of course.

It's a massive tome, but to me it looks excellent. I have thought of so many uses of it already.....

• Doorstop.
• Spread a few more along the door as a draft excluder.
• Put as many pages as necessary under that wobbly table.
• Shred it for bedding for the rabbit or Guinea Pig.
• Stick false printed fake 'leatherette' binders around lots of them and put them on shelves to pretend you are an avid reader and impress neighbours.
• Throw it at the dog every time he barks
• Throw it at the wife when annoyed.
• Throw it at the television when Fiona Bruce come on.
• Shred it and add to your compost bin to aid decomposition.
• Use 200 of them as ballast for the small yacht.
• Stand at Prestwick Airport and sell them to foreigners as Scottish "guide books".
• Keep a copy in the boot to tear off pages as wipers for your dipstick, or to wipe off the pigeon doo-doo.
• Tape a few together and avoid having to buy a footstool.
• Line them four deep across your loft as cheap loft insulation.
• Same for walls.
• Cheap doilies for those sticky pizza segments.
• Roll up the pages as tapers to light that coal fire.
• Keep a stock of complete books for the fire in case of a log shortage.
• Take them abroad on booze cruises to stop all those bottles rattling in the car coming home.
• Gouge out the middle of all the inside pages, giving you a snug place to hide all those gold sovereigns and jewels. Burglars will never steal it.
• Cheap incontinence pads.

In fact I'm beginning to think there's only one thing you can't do with it..... use it to convince the Scots to vote "Yes".

mystic_trev

Would the Scottish Broadcasting Service participate in Comic Relief? Yes

http://www.scotreferendum.com/questions/would-the-scottish-broadcasting-service-participate-in-charity-fundraising-drives-such-as-comic-relief-and-children-in-need/

Could be a deal breaker!

Doshwaster

SailorSam wrote: »

They were saying on the news last night that if it's a Yes vote and we do get an independant Scotland that will be a loss of approx 40 Labour MPs, Will that mean here in England we're going to have a stronger Tory majority for years to come.

That's why the Labour party is so against independence.

IveSeenTheLight

SailorSam wrote: »

They were saying on the news last night that if it's a Yes vote and we do get an independant Scotland that will be a loss of approx 40 Labour MPs, Will that mean here in England we're going to have a stronger Tory majority for years to come.

You have to wonder why are the conservatives so keen to keep the Union then?

Do you have any suggestions?

ruggedtoast

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

You have to wonder why are the conservatives so keen to keep the Union then?

Do you have any suggestions?

I think the clue is in the title.

molerat

The Tories will have a majority on their own, 302/591. Scotland has 16% of the UK's Labour MPs and 20% of the LibDems but only 0.33% of the Tories.