Early this morning, Scottish voters voted for the Union, much to my relief. In the end, the margin (55% v 45%) was more decisive than the polls had predicted. Admittedly, I had been one of those complacent commentators who assumed early on that Scotland would vote to stay in, but I was nevertheless cautiously optimistic that they would vote 'No' leading into polling day, although this was nothing more than a hunch. The three main parties have promised more devolution, and the optimist in me sees no reason why this pledge for more powers in Scotland won't be fulfilled. However, I'm strongly of the view that this should extend to all of the UK.
Firstly, what a triumph for democracy. BBC coverage of the referendum correctly stated that the independence campaign was proof that politics is not boring. Furthermore, voter turnout was nearly 84.5%, with people who hadn't been involved before (including 16 and 17 year olds) engaged and passionate on both sides. Compare the 84.5% figure with a voter turnout of 65.1% in the 2010 UK General Election, and you get a clear picture. The SNP had a democratic mandate for a referendum after their landslide win in the 2011 Scottish elections, although legitimate questions of whether the rest of the UK should have been allowed to vote in the referendum were raised. There appeared to be a paradox with the three main party leaders in their canvassing. On the one hand, it was refreshing to see them try their best to keep the Union together, yet this also played into the hands of Alex Salmond, who was able to portray them as "the Westminster elite". Nevertheless, it was the correct decision, and I believe it reflected a genuine concern from Cameron, Clegg and Miliband.
What seemed to be a lame duck campaign by Alex Salmond's side was reinvigorated after the second televised debate with Alastair Darling, more proof that you don't have to grimly accept polling figures (even if the final outcome was a negative one for the SNP).
Another hope from the referendum is that the rest of the UK will take a closer look at their fellow Union members. My knowledge of Scottish affairs is, I confess, still limited to an extent, but I feel the historical and political importance of the campaign forced me to improve my understanding somewhat. I can't profess to offer a detailed analysis, but with regards to issues such as currency, I will use an analogy that I have shared frequently; the SNP's approach appeared to be akin to someone who has cancelled their membership of a golf club, but nevertheless still demands to use the facilities. I cannot say for certain, but this may well have been the deciding factor for what Richard Nixon referred to years ago as the "silent majority". Gordon Brown's presence also appeared to galvanise the campaign with a speech filled with passion that I've rarely seen from the former Prime Minister, whilst I had huge respect for the resilience of Jim Murphy on his soapbox after having eggs thrown at him. Although Alastair Darling's performance in the second debate was poor, he was nevertheless an important figure for the No side, not to mention the many activists and members of other parties.
Wales and Northern Ireland will now, rightly, make calls for further powers, but I believe that the case needs to be made for other UK areas, too. Progress has been made, as I outlined in an article for the Matlock Mercury here: http://www.derbysdaleslibdem.org/#!lib-dems-devolution-achievements-vital-/c1f76 However, I have still heard people say that the recovery is only happening in the south. I don't think this is true, but it's a pertinent question, and there's no doubt that too much is centralised in the capital. I heard an interesting call for Manchester and Liverpool to be merged as a 'super city', and whilst this may be deemed controversial for some, it is the right approach, if not the right outcome. Devolved fiscal powers for regions like these is a must, and if we are to take the Scottish Independence referendum as a template, regions such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and so on are similarly passionate about their counties (although I suspect that few of them want independence!).
The Great Recession was due to a result of many factors, but one factor was our over-reliance on financial services concentrated in London. It's too simplistic and naive to say that greater devolution would have protected the country from the banking crisis, but it certainly could have mitigated it. I fully support Michael Heseltine's review into localism, with the Government stating that the vast majority of his recommendations would be enacted: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governments-response-to-the-heseltine-review-into-economic-growth Evidently, advancements are being made with regards to devolution, but we need to "think big" on far more proposals. The Northern 'super city' idea is a step in the right direction, and it could be replicated in other regions. Whether it's true or not, we need to abolish in practice the "Westminster only cares about London" mantra.
And what now for the SNP? They have two years left before the next Scottish elections, and they do still have popular policies to present and defend to the Scottish voters, such as free prescriptions, no tuition fees and the abolition of trident. However, Alex Salmond (or will it be Nicola Sturgeon?) will have a far less rhetorical campaign message in 2016 now that the issue of Scottish Independence has been answered. The SNP will be licking their wounds somewhat, but a lot will still depend on whether the Scottish Labour Party can bounce back (much like the UK Labour Party).
Steve Richards, a chief political writer for The Independent, made a fascinating prediction on The Daily Politics recently. He suggested that if the Conservatives win the 2015 election, hold a referendum on the EU and vote to leave, the SNP would make renewed calls for a referendum on Independence and for staying in the EU. It's certainly food for thought, and the 45% 'Yes' figure is too large to be complacently disregarded.
I'm delighted that Scotland are staying in the Union, and I hope to see more devolution for them, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, others UK regions need similar advancements.
No comments:
Post a Comment