tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post3080449225121372264..comments2024-03-29T11:42:10.238+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: Admin : Cameron has a "responsibility" to breach democratic principlesJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-14160588484235564742011-10-18T21:03:35.627+01:002011-10-18T21:03:35.627+01:00I actually think that Labour are all at sixes and ...I actually think that Labour are all at sixes and sevens about this, "Devo-Max", question.<br /><br />On Labourhame <a href="http://www.labourhame.com/archives/2202" rel="nofollow">Dougie Alexander</a> says that Labour's two central beliefs are, "A belief in social justice, and a commitment to home rule within the United Kingdom.", even though two paragraphs up he doesn't think that more powers for the Scottish Parliament are needed.<br /><br />On Labourhame <a href="http://www.labourhame.com/archives/2218" rel="nofollow">Malcolm Chisholm</a> wants Devo-Max when he says, "Scottish Labour must respond by developing a Devo Max position."<br /><br />Tom Harris doesn't want a, "Devo-Max", question on the referendum ballot paper even though it would probably adversely affect the independence option.<br /><br />However McLeish does wants Devo-Max.<br /><br />The only Labour man who has publicly come close to working out what Salmond is doing and what are the ramifications and consequences of a Devo-Max option is <a href="http://www.labourhame.com/archives/1847" rel="nofollow">Ian Smart</a> even though he still thinks the SNP are going to write it.<br /><br /><i>Indeed, the more you consider it, the more you see the difficulty in putting two different, and ultimately inconsistent, propositions on the same ballot paper.<br /><br />But that's not the only problem. It's difficult to see who is going to frame the non-independence option. Presumably, the SNP Government, even though it's not their desired outcome. The problem with this is that any settlement short of full independence is not a matter for the Scottish people alone. So what happens, in advance of a referendum, if the rest of the UK says that what the SNP want (as their fall back position) is not on offer? That it's independence or bust. What's the point of then asking the "other" question? The question becomes redundant whether or not the full independence question is won or lost. If the referendum produces a yes vote to independence the "other" question is redundant per se and if the Scots have rejected the nuclear option of "full" independence then why should the rest of the UK make any further constitutional concessions in the aftermath of that? After all, the SNP could hardly hold another referendum but this time with a single question. That would be silly.</i><br /><br />Salmond has offered to put Devo-Max on the ballot paper but not to write it and the unionists will fail to come up with a worked out solution which they all can agree to implement if it wins.<br /><br />It will come back to the options of the status quo or independence on the ballot paper but the SNP hasn't failed to offer the voters a choice, it's the unionists who have failed by not supplying the terms of Devo-Max and an agreement to implement it.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.com