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Nathan wrote:
Of course, that doesn't mean that any vote rigging actually went on, just that the question of it would arise.

Actually, 80,000 Yes Campaigners have already signed a petition calling for an inquiry into the vote counting.

http://www.thejournal.ie/scottish-refer ... 9-Sep2014/

Although involved in the Yes campaign I don't think this kind of protest is going to get us anywhere other than being labelled bad losers unable to accept the verdict of the ballot box. I am no fan of the UK political system but this isn't Zimbabwe.
Last edited by Mark on Sun Sep 21, 2014 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
As thou conversest with the heavens, so instruct and inform thy minde according to the image of Divinity William Lilly

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Andrew Bevan wrote:
Congratulations, Mark, upon the success of your work and study on the referrendum and where I might remark that your astrology actually took you away from your political convictions or inclinations, which leaned to the 'Yes' side, and that isn't easy to weather when passing judgement on matters like this.
Thanks Andrew. It was quite an awkward position to be in. Not many people in the yes campaign wanted to accept a no prediction beforehand and I dont blame them so I kept my astrological work to myself in those quarters. I was worried my negative prediction would sap the energy, and enthusiasm of those around me. On some level I also hoped I had got the astrology wrong!

Andrew Bevan wrote:
Imagine if the question were to be fought out in the fashion of previous centuries. In fact, both the vote and its result is probably a victory for democracy, for all parties and segments of the United Kingdom, its government and beyond. It also demonstrates that the democratic principle can and should be given a fair chance under all circumstances.
Well yes the majority have spoken. But naturally there is understandable upset, depression and frustration in the yes camp. More positively, many people have been motivated to get involved in politics and over 15,000 people have joined the SNP or Scottish Greens since Friday.

Andrew Bevan:
The vote of about 45% Yes and 55% No is clear enough. In a small country with a population of only 4 million people, it only takes 200.000 people to change their mind for the vote to go the other way, but maybe it was good that the result was beyond doubt rather than 51% Yes and 49% No.
Well its certainly settled for at least a decade. Its clearly in the interests of the UK government to describe this result as ?decisive?. However, its considerably closer than the polls indicated at the start of the campaigns which indicated a 70/30 split. It would only have taken just over a 5% swing of the electorate to yes to have produced a yes vote. So ?close? or ?decisive? is a really matter of perception and political outlook. Unionists want to see this issue as buried for good while many gradualist supporters of independence see this referendum as at worst a bump in the road or even a step forward in a historical process towards independence.

Alex Salmond has talked of no subsequent referendum for another generation and Cameron seized on this to add ?a generation or perhaps a lifetime?. However, Salmond clearly never implied a timescale lasting that long. Salmond has explained several times by what he meant by using the the example of the Scottish referendums in 1979 and 1997. Of course Salmond is stepping down as First Minister and SNP leader and it will be up to his likely successor Nicola Sturgeon to decide whether to make Scottish maximised ?Home rule? the political strategy for the next decade or so.

One factor that fits a longer term strategy is that a majority of voters under 55 voted yes. It was the older demographic that frequently still identifies as British that voted overwhelmingly no.

Andrew Bevan:
Either way you look at the 'No' vote, remaining within the Union, I think everyone are winners. Scotland have won a lot through receiving many vows that powers will be moved to Scottish regional administration, and the 'No' side may not in fact have won the vote if Cameron had not conceded as much as he did towards the end of the campaign.
Scotland is likely to obtain more devolution but how extensive they will be is a political hot potato. The timescale set for this looks exceptionally fast and it is wrrying that many English Conservatives are seeking to tie this issue into constutional reform for the voting rights of Scottish and Welsh MPs on English matters.

I doubt you will not find many takers in the yes camp that we are all winners. Scotland like the rest of the UK is facing another wave of austerity cuts. This will happen with another Conservative government (not voted for in scotland) while the current Labour party policies are not that radically different. Like many people I see Westminster politics as dysfunctional and caught up in a neo-liberal economic model serving corporate interests. The main three parties Conservative, Lib Dem and Labour are politically all bunched together so the electorate have little real choice between them.

Andrew wrote:
I think this election made a lot of sense and it will probably be good for not only the union, but tourism all over the UK and foreigners will open up their eyes for other details of Britain rather than the centering on London. It is as if politicians stopped up for a while and paid attention to matters that actually matter, and this has to do with the voice and opinion of the people.


Apart from greater Scottish devolution promises the main political effect seems to be that the constitutional status of England has now come up in the so called 'English question'. In his speech following the Scottish referendum result on the morning of Friday September 19th David Cameron's tagged a completely new suggestion on that more devolution to Scotland required a reform to the UK parliament meaning English only MPS voting on English matters. This is a proposed solution to the so called ''West Lothian question.''

Its sounds simple and perfectly fair but it contains far more problems on closer inspection and it looks like a deliberate trap for the Labour party and an attempt for the Conservatives to fly the flag of St George at the next election. This will also help them fight off an English nationalist challenge from UKIP. Cameron has set a timescale of compiling draft legislation by next spring which looks incredibly ambitious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lothian_question

Cameron seems to have succeeded in catching the Labour party out on this issue and they seem to be still struggling to know how to handle it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29303827

The dilemma for Labour is that they could get elected with a majority of UK parliamentary seats (including Labour MPs from Scotland and Wales) but not have a majority of English seats. If those Scottish and Welsh MPS were denied voting rights on English matters the Conservatives would have a built in de facto majority within England at every election. Labour argue this would create two classes of MPS and undermine the sovereignty of Parliament. I intend to set up a thread on the astrology of this issue.

Andrew wrote:
Congratulations again for getting it right! Smile Thumbs up
Cheers. I was pleased that the astrology led me to this conclusion not the polls.
As thou conversest with the heavens, so instruct and inform thy minde according to the image of Divinity William Lilly