Yorkshire has a similar population size to Scotland. There is also the impression that Yorkshire constantly votes for Labour Governments, irrespective of what the result was across the UK. The argument being that that is just the way that democracy works and so us Scots should not feel hard done by where our voting patterns hold no resemblance to the governments that we get. However, Scotland had 1 Conservative out of a possible 59 in the 2010 UK General Election, yet we have a Conservative led coalition, pursuing an entirely conservative agenda. In 2015 however, even Labour activists and members tell me that they believe that the Conservatives will win the 2015 UK General Election. It is also widely anticipated that that single solitary Scottish Conservative MP will lose his seat, leaving us governed by a government with no elected democratic representation. So, Yorkshire... how is it really for them? Well, the fact is that Yorkshires voting in 2010 actually represents the UK outcome that lead to the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat government about as accurately as you are likely to see. (data below). So there is not even a strong argument for devolution for Yorkshire from a political ideology perspective. Albeit, there is a strong practical argument, demonstrated by the advantages that Scotland does have from having a devolved parliament. If you look at both Labour and SNP voters in Scotland as left of centre, with different constitutional, but similar political ideologies, then the gulf between Englands (and indeed Yorkshires) political compass and Scotlands is plain to see. Incidentally, I think that the Yes campaign seems to have adopted the same latitude as the Greens and the Socialists, which on the face of it is a bold and radical move. If the Yes campaign is successful, it will really highlight the difference between the general political outlook as never before, especially when compared to the surge in extreme right wing politics in England with UKIP, Britain First, etc along with the general move further right by the main three parties to resist the inroads being made by those emerging parties. The prospect of a more socially just and socially conscious Scotland is really exciting. The most successful countries in the world, the Scandinavian countries, practice similar thinking and have similar population sizes to Scotland, or Yorkshire for that matter. No doubt there will be challenges, in particular with respect to the negotiations over dissolution of the UK political union. However, it should never be said that challenges are a reason not to do something. Everything in life worthwhile and rewarding entails some degree of facing challenges, from learning to walk, to studying at university, to starting a family, to following your dreams and fulfilling your potential. Yorkshire 2010 Labour 703,508.00 35% Conservative 658,225.00 32% Liberal Democrats 465,568.00 23% UKIP 54,497.00 3% BNP 91,073.00 4% Other 53,597.00 3% Total 2,026,468.00 UK 2010 Labour 8,609,527.00 29% SNP 491,386.00 2% Conservative 10,726,614.00 36% Liberal Democrat 6,836,824.00 23% UKIP 919,546.00 3% BNP 564,331.00 2% Other 1,257,536.00 4% Total 29,405,764.00 Scotland 2010 Labour 1,035,528.00 42% SNP 491,386.00 20% Conservative 412,855.00 17% Liberal Democrat 465,471.00 19% UKIP 17,223.00 1% BNP 8,910.00 0% Other 27,472.00 1% Total 2,458,845.00
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 08:27:49 +0000
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