A long time coming....

But now the mainstream media are predicting both the end of the union and of the Labour party.

In both cases this is being blamed on the flawed devolution that was forced through by NuLabour in Scotland and Wales. At the time, Nu Labour claimed that devolution would kill nationalism and separitism stone-dead in Scotland. The Tories, who argued that unequal devolution would fuel Scottish separitism and revive English nationalism, were dismissed as right wing nutters by the BBC and Guardian front. As for the other media, I recall Minette Marin writing an article in The Times about how benign a constitutional reform devolution had been, I emailed her at he time saying that, far from being benign, Scottish devolution would revive the SNP as the opposition to Labour in Scotland - and it did, now the SNP are in power.

The whole sorry devolution mess left England ruled by a Labour party with Scottish interests at heart and England's role being the cashpoint for the whole UK, but without any democratic body solely representing England's people.

In the Sunday Times, Simon Jenkins reads the Glasgow East election result as the end of the union:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/simon_jenkins/article4407171.ece

And in the Daily Telegraph, Iain Martin sees the end of the union and the Labour party in a double whammy from the SNP, in Scotland, and the revitalised Tories in England.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/07/30/do3001.xml

At some point the Tories will have to grasp that they will never be able to rule in Scotland again, as the SNP are the party of choice for voters abandoning Labour in Scotland. In the event of a Tory UK government in 2010 (or before 2010?) The SNP will then play the foreign-rule from England card on every issue. When the Tories do get it, perhaps we'll finally see some recognition that England needs it's own parliament and that then, and only then, will some post-devolution UK federal settlement be possible.

In the meantime I can't see how Labour can get out of the mess of their own making - unequal devolution will be on Labour's headstone.

Salmond's strategy unveiled

In view of the increasingly likely prospect of a Conservative government in 2010, the SNP look to play-off Scotland against Tory policies as leverage to their Independence referendum.

There is more here in the Sunday Herald:

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2295788.0.salmond_promises_to_fight_a_future_tory_government.php

As for us English, none of the major parties give England's unequal position in the union much importance. Bet this will change though, when a future Tory government has to face up to the SNP?

Stephen.

Alex Salmond's game plan

To play the English question for all it is worth - to the SNP.

Another article from the Observer.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2200679,00.html

Warms your heart to see we English are so useful to ambitious Scottish politicians, of all parties.

Stephen.