Part of the openDemocracy Network

Sortition and public policy




A major new series from Imprint Academic on the use of randomisation in education, politics and other public policy areas. Special discount prices for OurKingdom and openDemocracy readers.

Labour After Brown

From Milibland to Johnson land?: Jeremy Gilbert argues for Labour without neo-liberalism.

Magical thinking on Britishness: Anthony Barnett critiques Liam Byrne on fraternity.

Rule of law at risk: Geoffrey Bindman calls for a turn away from the marketisation of government.

A new Bill of Rights for Britain?: Guy Aitchison analyses Parliament's proposed new Bill of Rights.

Miliband - by our rights we will know you: Claire O'Brien puts forward a new progressive vision for Labour.

Recapturing liberal Britain: David Marquand challenges Labour's constitutional orthodoxy.

Miliband and the Liberal Democrats: James Graham on the case for realignment.

What is Labour's British story?: Writing from Scotland, Gerry Hassan widens the OurKingdom debate on Labour's future.

This is not Brown's crisis but Britain's: David Marquand says social democracy is bust and Britain may be too.

The Challenges for Miliband's Progressive Fusion: Fabian Society head Sunder Katwala responds to David Miliband.

NOT A DAY LONGER




What do we do now?: Anthony Barnett assesses the stakes for for liberals and radicals in David Davis's campaign against the erosion of rights and liberties


The Abundance of Caution: an authoritative essay by Anthony Barnett sets out the case against 42 Days

England Awakes?

England, Britain and multiculturalism: an OurKingdom exchange

A mild awakening?, England's turn? by David Goodhart

delicious | digg | reddit | newsvine | furl | google | yahoo | technorati | diigolet

Syndicate content

Watch this: Alex and Wendy will decide our future

8 - 05 - 2008
delicious | digg | reddit | newsvine | furl | google | yahoo | technorati | diigolet

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): If you are used to seeing the old regime at play in Prime Ministers Questions you must take a look at this clip of First Minister's Questions in Scotland's beautiful Holyrood parliament. I can't get the clip into OK so go on it here via the BBC report. The future of the UK is being debated by Wendy and Alex - a much more important contest than Boris and Ken. Note the point that Alex picks up at the beginning. Labour has conceded an absolutely stunning constitutional principle: it has accepted that the Scottish parliament has the right to call a referendum that will decide on that country's independence. This is not in legal terms a devolved power; formally only Westminster can decide constitutional issues. But Labour has has now agreed that the referendum, including its all important wording and timing, will be determined in Holyrood.

OurKingdom's blog | email this blogpdf version | quote
delicious | digg | reddit | newsvine | furl | google | yahoo | technorati | diigolet
 

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Mike Small (not verified) said:

Thu, 2008-05-08 19:37

It's a genuinely fascinating different understanding on things Anthony. At no time did anyone here have a reckoning that any body other than Holyrood would determine the referendums timing and wording.

Indeed the draft bill has been in place for some months now.

It would ask all adult residents in Scotland if they agree that: "The Scottish Parliament (led by executive ministers) should negotiate a new settlement with the British Government so that Scotland becomes a sovereign and independent state" and has been in place since 2006.

We do indeed live in parallel universes, a view certainly echoed by the report analysed here: http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2246202.0.bbc_leaves_scots_poorly_informed.php

reply | email this commentquote

Ray Bell said:

Sun, 2008-05-11 14:55

"The future of the UK is being debated by Wendy and Alex - a much more important contest than Boris and Ken."

 Too true, while London was an interesting contest, this one has further reaching consequences.

reply | email this commentquote

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd><b> <i> <br> <p> <div> <img>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You may quote other posts using [quote] tags.
More information about formatting options

In Pictures


Email Alerts

Fill in the form below to sign up to our automatic daily alerts, or weekly editorial summary (you will be taken to another page to confirm which options you want).

Enter your Email


Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

They say about OK

"the ever-stimulating OpenDemocracy"
Ekklesia

"See OurKingdom to keep up"
South Belfast Diary

"...an essential guide to understanding the dynamic constitutional situation..."
Peter Oborne

"...becoming a daily read for me."
Iain Dale

"To make sense of it all, check out OurKingdom..."
Matthew d'Ancona

"Worth a look...it is, however, recommended by Matthew d'Ancona."
The Wardman Wire

"Fast becoming the best political website around"
Tom Waterhouse, CEP

"...attracting energy from a range of contributors."
thenextwave

"...looks very promising..."
The England Project

"The excellent new OurKingdom blog from OpenDemocracy..."
The Green Ribbon

"On the internet, I keep in touch with openDemocracy, a website on global current affairs, and its useful offshoot, OurKingdom"
Andreas Whittam-Smith

"thanks to the fine folk at OurKingdom, (who manage to communicate a variety of perspectives in the way that only a decent group blog can)"
Nostalgia For the Future