Get on with the job?

Jack McConnell's speech at the JP Mackintosh Lecture last night concluded with the statement "It's time to get on with the job".  You could say that he has rarely been so right.  Shame he's waited nearly eight years to realise that!

However, the main point that the First Minister was making was that he thinks the devolution settlement is about right and that we should just get on with it.  You can see where he is coming from.  Eight years isn't long in terms of major constitutional change and devolution does need time to bed in properly.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that the system isn't quite right.  Personally I wouldn't have had devolution in the first place, but it needs to be accepted that it is what the vast majority of Scots wanted.  So where to from here?

I think the Union is important and that we need to maintain the UK.  There are so many things that bind us, relationships, culture, finance, infrastructure etc etc.  It would seem stupid to divorce the countries for purely a political reason when so many other things bind us together.

However, devolution, and especially the financial settlement, will not work in the medium to long term.  This will become even more apparent when there are different parties in power north and south of the border.  I'm no fan of the Lib Dems in the slightest, but I'm rapidly coming round to the conclusion that some form of federalism may be the right way forward.  Maybe we should have a UK Parliament that looks purely after foreign affairs, defence and projects of national importance (arguably social welfare too) while national parliaments (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) look after all other affairs and are responsible for raising taxes.

I think this model would certainly work for Scotland politically.  However, what I haven't looked at and maybe someone can help, is the financial impact of this and how would the UK services be paid for?  Would it be a UK tax or a cost to be paid for by the national parliaments?  What would happen if the national parliament wasn't too pleased about a UK decision, eg nuclear weapons.

So, not an answer here, just some thoughts.

McConnell's full speech can be read here: Download in_the_interest_of_our_nation.doc

Iain Dale has some interesting comments on the English Parliament questions here

Comments

[Brit Pat]

Want your children living under Sharia Law ?

Didn't think so..

The EU's Hidden Euromediteranian Project.

Sharia Law, A Great way for an EU Police State to Control its subjects.
The smoking ban, the first step in emptying then closing the Pubs.

Think I'm Joking...the Pope Doesn't.

Blog this and email it befor it is too late.

http://balder.org/avisartikler/Open-Letter-To-Danish-Prime-Minister-Anders-Fogh-Rasmussen.php
http://balder.org/avisartikler/Barcelona-Declaration-Euro-Mediterranean-English.php
Europe Sold out for oil
http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/003027.html

Sharia law spreading in the UK.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/29/nsharia29.xml

Dutch and Swedish Ministers admitting Islam is to be the Dominant Culture.
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1016000

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2007/07/exit-sweden.html

Pope says 'ATTEMPTS TO ISLAMIFY EUROPE.....CANNOT BE DENIED'.........
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/27/wislam127.xml

http://bp2.blogger.com/_yMdo_4ivrJc/RpC8vF-g23I/AAAAAAAAABs/SjHzzdYirTc/s1600-h/ttonpoboxhhy.jpg

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1053

three litle pigs
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/03/15/british-school-renames-three-little-pigs-to-avoid-offending-muslims/

FrankFurt Subversion on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Marxism

Psychological suppression using Political Correctness,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_Correctness

Into the fragmented vacuum of our Nations subverted spirituality Sharia Law Is Spreading.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/29/nsharia29.xml

British School Children converted to Islam, making Islamic Affirmations to Allah in school.
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?p=398633

Conversion to Islam? Are Muslim children forced to pray to God ( Would Muslims be forced to pray to God )
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?p=398633

British Children told in school they Must avert their eyes, ( already telling them they are second class citizens ).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article1654995.ece

Criminalising British children as young as three yrs of age.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44733

Polygamy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=449221&in_page_id=1770

Genital Mutilation, up to 60,000 a year in the UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/241221.stm

Goodbye Sweden
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2065

GoodBye France, Frances unreported race riots lasted a WHOLE YEAR, on average 112 Cars torched PER DAY.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2004/01/26/do2601.xml

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/989

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1183

Dutch and Swedish Ministers admitting Islam is to be the Dominant Culture.
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1016000

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2007/07/exit-sweden.html