For the last few weeks, the Scottish referendum has been the talk of the nation. But now that the vote is in and Scotland will remain a part of the UK, talk is already turning to devolution, with Edinburgh set to take more power from London, enabling the Scottish parliament to make many decisions independently.
But this move towards more regional power has also got other areas of the UK talking. In the north of England, our local press, among others, are already calling for us to be allowed more control over the decisions that affect us.
After all, London and its people are a long way from our corner of the world. In fact, we’re closer to Scotland than we are to our capital city. The things that are important to us are not always of great concern to our political leaders.
When it comes to devolution, I don’t know what the answer is. We don’t need another expensive tier of government with the power to make little more than superficial changes. But I’d welcome the opportunity for the north to have more influence over its own destiny and the issues that matter here, if it was done in a way that would genuinely benefit the region.
Allie says
I live in the US, and I had heard about the referendum, but it’s really cool to see your persepctive on it! Thanks for sharing.
Amy Lord says
Thanks Allie!
Martin says
I find talk of regional devolution a bit depressing. Yes, we all feel remote from government – Scotland certainly doesn’t have a monopoly of that – but I don’t believe establishing more local government is the answer. It wouldn’t remove people’s feelings of remoteness. If, for example, a northern regional authority was based in, say, Leeds, I sure many on the other side of the A1 or further north, would feel – rightly or wrongly – that it didn’t represent them. We could have an authority governing the street where I live and if it was at the top of the street the people at the bottom would feel ignored.
I like unity. I’m glad Scotland voted not to leave, but I’d like us to think of this as a new start rather than a confirmation of the status quo. We heard a lot from politicians about the importance of keeping the union together, but this seemed to be largely for economic and political reasons.
What I heard rarely –other than occasionally from the “yes” campaign in reference to an independent Scotland – was any talk of instilling a fresh vibrancy, of rebirth and youth and energy. I would like us to see the union as reborn by this vote, a chance for us to look at ourselves and decide what we want to be – together. Never mind Better Together, how about brilliant together, unstoppable together, totally blooming awesome together?
Yeah, I know, I won’t hold my breath.
Amy Lord says
All good points, Martin, and I do agree. I don’t necessarily believe in the need for regional government, as you say, there would always be areas where people would feel left out and alienated; where would you draw the line in allowing them to self govern? But with the Scottish vote, now seems like a good time to take a look at the current system and figure out how to improve it for everyone. Of course, we know that local government will never be perfect, but a fresh take on it might be a good thing, if the discussion was undertaken properly.