Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi

I've come to this fascinating string a bit late in the day - so will not try to explain how the UK holds together through compromises that seem at first sight to be illogical and imperfect. I know as an Englishman who is pleased to have lived in Scotland for most of my adult life that the present devolution is imperfect but a much better system than we had before.

If you really want free prescriptions and care for the elderly then people in England has to press for this and vote for it. That's what happened in Scotland - it's called democracy and it is quite alive up here.

I'm getting a bit too involved now in what was an old KG debate. All I really want to say is that we should all use our vote even if it it to vote for the candidate that we dislike the least.

It's probably also relevant to point out that the much advertised pre-election debates are to involve only Brown, Cameron and Clegg, and are to be held in England.
They shouldn't be surprised if the discounted Scots and Welsh put more votes the way of the SNP and Plaid Cymru!

alan

It is very relevant to point this out - come may I will be voting with a choice of 4 main parties - but the "national" debate will only cover the views of the three English parties even though my current MP is from the SNP. Our UK compromise is certainly complicated - but I think that you are right in thinking that when the Scots and Welsh feel excluded they are more likely to vote for Plaid Cymru or the SNP. From a Scottish perspective there is also the possibility that in the next few years there will be a referendum on independence - and that is important to the whole of the UK - -even more reason why the nationalist parties should be represented. Anyway whatever one's political views it is obvious that Alex Salmond is in a different class from Nick Clegg and therefore should have been included.

But to keep us on track with the forum rules another important issue is the availability of allotments and we need to hear the views of all the UK leaders on this issue.

Chris