I don't know much about politics these days as I actively avoid it all as I cannot be arsed and am politically homeless anyway. TS can you explain how there is clearly a power grab going on? Ignore me though if you cannot be bothered or find the request cheeky..just I know you will actually tell me the facts rather than some biased rubbish that i would find if I tried to search for it on google (and even then, I don't really know what stories I am searching for :laugh: )

It was a publicity stunt pure and simple. Scotland have devolved powers, the can govern themselves how they want in their own parliament. At westminster, they have to fall in line with everyone else or pay the consequences.

In basic terms, the government is covertly trying to use changes in law / policy that will happen through the Brexit process to remove or limit certain devolved powers that the Scottish government currently has, and to undermine the Scottish parliament. They want to push these through under the radar, undemocratically, with no real discussion or debate. Which makes the following point moot;

Let's remember that the Scottish MPs were in Westminster, quite happy to vote on things affecting only England. They have no qualms about that.

Ahh right. I think that the power the government gave to Scotland was always something they regretted, and it was clearly just done to 'keep the country together'. I am not surprised they are attempting to take it back. But so much **** goes on 'under the radar' in parliament, or is tried to be forced through with noone realizing until its too late. Its crap. Really crap and really dishonest. And surely not what the government is meant to be about, if something was above board and such, why the need to bury it until the last minute, or until after it has been done?

Thanks for the summary, much appreciated.

I watched it Live
he was given a Real Vote
but only at the conclusion of PMQ's
That would still make every Live TV news go over
15mins.


No one can Disrupt PMQ's
who ever is in power.

Yeah I also agree with this though. If Scotland have their own powers, fair play to them, but there is no reason for them to vote on matters that do not affect them surely? Have always found that a bit weird

The SNP are new to our Parliament
this is Wrong.


Next time ban him for a week


TS may not like that?

Bye Bye :hee:

This is a key point isn't it

I'd be happiest if they banned Scottish MPs forever by giving us independence or full devolution :joker:. I'd rather we have nothing to do with the Westminster circus.

You should have a referendum.

Oh no, wait....

The SNP don't actually!

It was a publicity stunt but it worked. The UK wide media didn't give a **** about the power grab but now they're finally talking about it

Power Grab
how did it all go wrong?

Why did they make such a fuss when Parliament allowed only Welsh and English MPs to vote on an English housing bill... the Scots decide their own housing bills in Scotland. The SNP were not happy though. They've wanted to vote on English matters ever since they got a large proportion of MPs into Parliament.

Some of the laws that are considered "English only" have a direct effect on Scotland so thats probs why

That's just not true.

Indeed we did have a referrendum, during which the case for "staying" was made by promising more devolved powers, and should not have been taken as an indication that Scottish people "want westminster rule" and as permission to reverse the progress of devolved powers. Which makes the fact that the current government is currently trying to lessen devolution "through the back door" a massive problem in terms of democracy... no?

There's also the fact that "staying in the UK is the only way to guarantee continued access to European markets!" was used as a stick constantly during the referendum campaign. That's a bit of a problem, too.

Exactly :joker:. I do enjoy the way that "It's a publicity stunt!!" is used as an automatic negative. If you want something to get publicity, and engage in a publicity stunt, and then the thing that you wanted to get publicity... gets publicity... then it seems pretty clear that a "publicity stunt!!" was exactly the right course of action :think:.

I don't think the media appear to be talking about the power grab. They seem to be pointing out how childish the walkout was, for the sake of waiting an extra 30 mins or whatever. And taking the piss, and claiming that it was obviously preplanned just for publicity :shrug:

Well yeah. Its a shame though, that the main message of it seems diluted. People still don't seem to understand why they did it. I didn't until this thread though had seen a lot of stories about 'childish SNP walk out' and such.

To be blunt... it doesn't really matter what people in England think about it or how the English media chooses to spin it.

I also just don't get the "Childishness!" part being a thing.

"Breaking News! The House of Commons is Childish" ... ... :think:. Did I miss the day that it wasn't? :joker:

https://media.giphy.com/media/aydVXDJ6frXB6/giphy.gif

It's just bizarre what Blackford thought would be achieved by the House sitting in private anyway? Why would kicking journalists and the public out help his cause? And why could he not wait twenty minutes for the vote?

There were several SNP MPs down to ask questions who lost the opportunity to highlight issues they supposedly care about because they all walked out. And they claim it was not a publicity stunt but then all headed straight to tv studios and took a load of selfies together outside parliament