So Boris is bringing the devolved nations to heel at last, but why have successive central governments let things get this far. Scotland, or at least Nicola Sturgeon, is baying for independence as though she has no responsibilities to the UK Government and acting as if the choice is actually hers to manipulate as she sees fit. She needed a specific majority to even gain the necessary authority to discuss independence, but having failed to achieve that requirement, she has arbitrarily taken a decision to proceed anyway. The lady is completely out of control, continuously flouting the rules for her own ends, and let’s be clear she sees independence as her legacy irrespective of its impact on Scotland and the Union. She is the First Minister of Scotland not the PM, that honour falls to Boris Johnson whether she recognises that fact or not; whilst I am not an expert on the constitution of either the UK or Scotland, I am clear that ultimately the UK PM is her boss and could and must reign her in for all our sakes.
Incredibly, Sturgeon’s open disrespect and defiance of the PM is also starting to reverberate in Wales, with certain elements of the Welsh Parliament indicating they also wish to pursue an independence agenda. If the Scots desire is folly then for Wales to even consider it is criminally insane.
Devolved control at the appropriate level is acceptable and can actually help to apply balance across the combined nations, closing the various divides through focused regeneration. To succeed, I believe this must be as a constitutional part of a United Kingdom, with properly constructed, mutually supportive laws that flow from central through national to regional and local authorities in a traditional manner. Anybody who believes either Scotland or Wales is capable of a successful, sustainable existence on their own is living in dreamland, but why would anybody want to take that life changing risk anyway. We are probably the greatest Union the world has ever known and no, I don’t think we should be shy or embarrassed about what we have achieved together over the centuries, we have given the world so much than we have taken from it. Does anybody truly believe we could have achieved these things as four independent countries, I certainly don’t and neither do I believe we would enjoy the living standards, national wealth or international standing that we do and have done for centuries had it not been for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Do not throw our heritage away, too many good people have made the ultimate sacrifice and did so in the service of our country and for the good of the those oppressed people across the world. Who else would have stood up to the various tyrannical monsters that have threatened world piece in modern times; without the Union, who knows what the answers to that question may be, but I don’t think many would care to contemplate it for too long.
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