tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post5893886720412339178..comments2023-09-28T08:44:10.623+01:00Comments on The Sound of Gunfire: The Future of Devolution - draft amendmentBernard Salmonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16756716991445396009noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-57082504460795286522009-09-01T09:24:50.544+01:002009-09-01T09:24:50.544+01:00No-one's imposing anything, Peter - I would ex...No-one's imposing anything, Peter - I would expect the FPC to conduct a thorough investigation of the issues involved and to encourage people to submit their views. But it is a discussion we need to have, as we have basically dodged the whole debate over English governance since the North-East no vote. We can't get away with that for ever.Bernard Salmonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16756716991445396009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-58634210206290080452009-09-01T08:20:28.654+01:002009-09-01T08:20:28.654+01:00Well it should come from England organically, not ...Well it should come from England organically, not imposed on them from a Federal level.Peter Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16370260756872929021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-21274111608233816072009-08-30T23:41:01.660+01:002009-08-30T23:41:01.660+01:00But Peter, that's the whole point of my amendm...But Peter, that's the whole point of my amendment - it doesn't commit us to any particular solution at this stage, but it does guarantee that we do look at the issue.Bernard Salmonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16756716991445396009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-83698617255881037682009-08-30T23:02:04.532+01:002009-08-30T23:02:04.532+01:00I think the problem is that England does not seem ...I think the problem is that England does not seem to know what it wants itself so how then can we account for their views in a motion?Peter Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16370260756872929021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-45663890341852617082009-08-28T12:09:52.127+01:002009-08-28T12:09:52.127+01:00Interesting, I'll look forward to the debate, ...Interesting, I'll look forward to the debate, I do hope it moves beyond the general platitudes towards federalism that we've seen in the past. The lib dems have a platform to bring forward not just their vision but the means with which to achieve it and sooner of later the dreaded 'r' word "referendum' will arise.<br /><br />You must have a mandate for change , over and above general election support.<br /><br />The argument that 'independence' can't be on a referendum is outmoded and fundamentally anti-democratic.<br /><br />It's time for the Liberals to support a three question referendum, I suspect your option of much greater fiscal autonomy would win and change would happen.<br /><br />At the moment, it looks piecemeal and derisory, as though you don't as a party mean what you say.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-35064261612549158122009-08-27T23:12:41.865+01:002009-08-27T23:12:41.865+01:00Stephen, yes I had noticed that Northern Ireland w...Stephen, yes I had noticed that Northern Ireland wasn't in the motion either and I did think about adding something in, but I couldn't think of anything that would be worth saying that wouldn't completely overshadow the rest of the debate. But as you have more experience of the issues than I do, if you want to draft another amendment on NI, that might be worthwhile.Bernard Salmonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16756716991445396009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-70890709278521502142009-08-27T23:03:43.346+01:002009-08-27T23:03:43.346+01:00I was about to applaud you for noticing Northern I...I was about to applaud you for noticing Northern Ireland was omitted, but I'll still applaud you anyway.Stephen Glennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03027718551675624433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-12948248069996163082009-08-27T21:21:07.327+01:002009-08-27T21:21:07.327+01:00Indeed Frank, which is why my amendment doesn'...Indeed Frank, which is why my amendment doesn't specify the exact nature of how England should be governed, whether through revived regionalism, an English Parliament, enhanced county/city/unitary local government or whatever, but merely calls for proposals to be brought forward so the issue can be addressed. I don't think we as a party have really thought about these issues since the North-East no vote.Bernard Salmonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16756716991445396009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346310154784158602.post-6999225937027891792009-08-27T21:10:05.390+01:002009-08-27T21:10:05.390+01:00You can lead a horse to water ... the voters of No...You can lead a horse to water ... the voters of North-East England voted to reject a democratically-elected regional assembly, thus accepting by default the existing Gauleitung.<br /><br />The only part of England which has shown a desire to run its own economic development is the south-west.Frank Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447989626809704972noreply@blogger.com