On An Odd Piece of Rhetoric

[danieldwilliam]

So One Nation Labour gets a bit of a run out at the Labour Party conference.

Which is okay I suppose. There are a lot of One Nation Labour politicians and voters, dead and alive, in these islands of ours.

But it struck me an odd bit of rhetoric to use during a referendum campaign on whether we are two states or not and with the background of a constitutional settlement that clearly recognises that we are several nations.

Comments

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Dan, Dan, Dan... it's all about the audience he was talking to. Remember, that as far as the Labour party goes, Scotland does not count. So long as we keep sending the MPs, that's all that matters. This is One Nation politics, and England is the one nation.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess that’s where I’m going with this.

So long as we keep sending the MP’s. And what if we don’t?

If I were the SNP post a No vote in the referendum at the 2015 election I’d be talking a lot about how electing SNP MP’s meant a stronger voice for Scotland in any coalition talks and electing Labour MP’s meant One Nation and that nation is England.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

That was what the SNP tried to say in the 80s - didn't make a blind bit of difference - Scotland kept sending 50+ Labour MPs to sit in opposition to the English Tory majority. What do you do when democracy fails you?

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

In the name of the Wee Man and John Cartwright.

We don’t live in a democracy. We choose not to.

They did try that approach in the 80’s but that was before Devolution, a two term SNP government, a real desire for at least more devolution but a real risk that it won’t be on offer and a Westminster coalition government. I think things are different in the 2010’s than in the 80’s.

Less denim for a start.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I hope things are different too (though, let's face it, we currently have Tory government over a country which didn't vote for that).

The SP will make a difference, but whether that's positive, in allowing organisation of resistance to Westminster policies, negative, in giving the illusion of control without the tax-raising substance, or largely neutral, I have no idea.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

I think the main difference the SP makes in this is that it allows the SNP (Other Non-Labour Party Parties are available) is that it gives the SNP an opportunity to show that they are serious party you can trust in government. They’ve been in government in Holyrood and Scotland hasn’t sunk into the sea, therefore, they could be the junior partner in a left of centre coalition at Westminster.