London eyes its own net domain

[Burdock]

I've just noticed that the SNP are leading opinion polls in Scotland. I had no idea!

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotl...024533,00.html

What would happen in the event of SNP winning in Scotland? Immediate moves to dissolve the Union?

[edit] sorry, this is OT.

[Euro-commuter]

Actually London's economy is bigger than Sweden or Belgium or Russia or Switzerland.

As I have been obliged to point out before, it is in the nature of a modern centralised state and capital, that most of the economy seems on a supreficial examination to take place in the capital, essentially because that is where things are reported.

"London's economy" mostly isn't purely London's.

[wendigo100]

Feck me, I could have a more courteous and less racist debate with the leader of the BNP.

I'm not convinced that the Scots are a "race", and are therefore fair game for a bit of banter. Like the English, as it happens.

[Euro-commuter]

I've just noticed that the SNP are leading opinion polls in Scotland. I had no idea!

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotl...024533,00.html

What would happen in the event of SNP winning in Scotland? Immediate moves to dissolve the Union?

No, because they wll not get an overall majority. Labour must be heaving a big sigh of relief that they had their arm twisted to introduce a form of proportional representation against their will: with first-past-the-post the SNP would sweep the poll and act immediately.

Instead, they will have to deal with others to run the parliament, spend 4 years making their case, then go for a referendum.

The LibDems, who are the are the natural choice for a coalition partner, have declared that they will not work with the SNP unless they abandon the proposal to have a referendum. Of course: neither the LibDems nor anybody else have anything to gain from the Independence card, while the SNP are in the field!

[Euro-commuter]

I'm not convinced that the Scots are a "race", and are therefore fair game for a bit of banter. Like the English, as it happens.

Agreed there: if the SNP stood on a racist platform I'd be voting for the Conservative and Unionist Party.

[Troll]

I've just noticed that the SNP are leading opinion polls in Scotland. I had no idea!

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotl...024533,00.html

What would happen in the event of SNP winning in Scotland? Immediate moves to dissolve the Union?

[edit] sorry, this is OT.

Would that also mean the end of the BBC?

If so I would vote for it (if I could)

[Burdock]

No, because they wll not get an overall majority. Labour must be heaving a big sigh of relief that they had their arm twisted to introduce a form of proportional representation against their will: with first-past-the-post the SNP would sweep the poll and act immediately.

Instead, they will have to deal with others to run the parliament, spend 4 years making their case, then go for a referendum.

The LibDems, who are the are the natural choice for a coalition partner, have declared that they will not work with the SNP unless they abandon the proposal to have a referendum. Of course: neither the LibDems nor anybody else have anything to gain from the Independence card, while the SNP are in the field!

Cheers EC, interesting analysis...

So if Labour and Lib Dems refuse to form a coalition with the SNP (unless they abandon referendum plans) what will happen? Will the SNP water down their plans, or will their be chaos as they can't form a government?

[sasguru]

As I have been obliged to point out before, it is in the nature of a modern centralised state and capital, that most of the economy seems on a supreficial examination to take place in the capital, essentially because that is where things are reported.

"London's economy" mostly isn't purely London's.

Well actually most of London's economy is based on having the infrastructure and expertise to deal with the international financial markets and taking a cut of every deal. If Scotland were to secede tomorrow I doubt that London's economy would be affected at all, simply because any major Scottish financial transactions would still probably be conducted in the City.

[Euro-commuter]

Well actually most of London's economy is based on having the infrastructure and expertise to deal with the international financial markets and taking a cut of every deal. If Scotland were to secede tomorrow I doubt that London's economy would be affected at all, simply because any major Scottish financial transactions would still probably be conducted in the City.

That isn't true ("still"? they aren't at the moment).

But that wasn't a natonalist point I was making. I meant all of England too: most of "London's economy" is England's economy, not London's.

[Euro-commuter]

Cheers EC, interesting analysis...

So if Labour and Lib Dems refuse to form a coalition with the SNP (unless they abandon referendum plans) what will happen? Will the SNP water down their plans, or will their be chaos as they can't form a government?

TBH I don't know. They could abandon the referendum that they were elected to hold, then later be "forced" to have one. Or they could run a minority government, supported ad hoc by the LibDems or Labour case by case.

Both the SNP and LibDems may feel boxed into a corner by their campaigning (or they may just jettison their promises of course!), so perhaps they would find a form of words to postpone the decision, while getting on with governing (SNP say no referendum unless clear demand for it; LibDems say see we stopped the referendum, look at how useful we are). LibDems might just vote with SNP on an ad hoc basis but I'd guess that's unlikely: the only thing that will get them Ministerial posts is a deal.