Monday, September 08, 2014



A political earthquake in the UK

Over the weekend, a political earthquake struck the UK, with a poll reporting that Scotland's "yes" campaign was ahead for the first time. The English establishment's threats and fearmongering have failed, and a positive vision of Scotland's future looks like it will triumph.

Which means more headless chicken behaviour from the establishment. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a new devolution package, with wide powers of taxation and legislation so long as Scotland lets London dictate its policy on capital gains and inheritance taxes and nuclear weapons. Which tells you everything you need to know about London's priorities. But as Alex Salmond points out, introducing it at this stage, when hundreds of thousands have already voted, is simply desperate. If England really wants to recast the relationship this way, why didn't they say so earlier?

Whichever way the vote goes, the UK as we know it is finished. Whether Scotland stays or goes, the UK is going to have to offer increased powers to its constituent nations, allowing them to effectively free themselves from the control of London and its parasitical bankers. And that can only be a good thing.