Tuesday, 6 January 2015

I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions
 are often entirely wrong- Lemony Snicket

Jim Murphy is Robin Hood.... Unfortunately

The Scottish Independence Referendum has left it's large imprint over UK Politics, and most evidently on Labour, who have their Scottish Leader resign and in its wake, risk losing a considerable amounts of seats in one of their most recently dominant grounds. So the torch was passed on to Jim Murphy, to pick up the pieces of trust in Scotland.... And he's only become a scapegoat.

I think this was Murphy's thought process when making this proposal. NHS= In Crisis= Needs more jobs= Needs money for jobs= Re-distribution of money. When phrased in terminology such as this, he sounds too communist to be true. However, whilst this a broad term of his policy for 1,000 new nurses in Scotland for the NHS, it does show the ever growing power struggle between Scotland and England, and especially Labour. It's not the proposal of jobs, it's where the money is coming from to fund them. By using the infamous "Barnett Formula", he would gain it from taxpayers in London... Cue the civil war.

Boris Johnson, described the plan as "fiscally vindictive" to the south east of England and amounted to trying to "bribe the Scots to vote Labour", while Labour's Dame Tessa Jowell said London should not be treated as a "cash cow".

 Whilst many Scottish Nationalists would be probably happy and rejoyceful after the announcement, but even some of Labour's own MP's have waded in to knock some sense into him. Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, scrutinized his proposal was surprised, saying he was "boasting". Whilst that word baffles me for myself, because I feel the word "betrayed" should be used, but it does highlight the main problem with the Anglo-Scot relationship. The Scottish want further devolution, which we've granted, however (rightfully) the English have demanded further powers to themselves, which the Scottish deny. This can be summarized into one term: The West Lothian Question. And until that's solved, no one's going anywhere in Scotland (accept the SNP).

The deadlock in not trusting each other will only end up with Scotland being sympathized on by politicians dreamy eyed about losing them from the UK. So take away their powers in regards to the West Lothian Question and grant them their further devolution plans and then, in the infamous words of Monty Python.... "GET ON WITH IT!" I can't see any progress in Anglo-Scottish relations, or any improvement to the 6 party-way for the General Election improving. At this rate, all we'll be getting is a SNP coalition with either Conservative or Labour. Because all I can see on 7 May 2015 is Scotland being entirely SNP.

Jordan Ifield (I'm actually pro-union... Which is scary)

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