On Newsnight yesterday Emily Maitlis interviewed Isobel Hardman (Spectator) and one other person (whose name escapes me) on the implications of a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum.
Isobel Hardman was of the opinion that David Cameron would stay on as Prime Minister and "help the Scots to independence" if the Yes side wins.
This is not tenable I'm afraid.
If David Cameron is outwitted by the pro-independence lobby in Scotland then he would be manifestly unfit to negotiate with that lobby in the event of an England-Scotland split. The same goes for Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. In the event of a Yes vote in Scotland we in England will need to have a competent negotiating team able to stand up for English issues and able to drive as hard a bargain as possible with the Scottish negotiating team - this will mean specific elections.
To pretend that the politicians who failed to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom are competent to negotiate the break up of the United Kingdom is not credible.
I do not want the Westminster politicians buying the Scots off with money from English taxpayers so that they can pretend that nothing has changed, that we are still a great power, that the British Prime Minister can still swagger about the world stage "punching above our weight".
Nor do I agree to the last minute extra devolution offer that has been made. There is no mandate for this serious constitutional change and the offer has no validity. If necessary I will vote and campaign against my own party to make sure the English people are not sold down the river.
Isobel Hardman was of the opinion that David Cameron would stay on as Prime Minister and "help the Scots to independence" if the Yes side wins.
This is not tenable I'm afraid.
If David Cameron is outwitted by the pro-independence lobby in Scotland then he would be manifestly unfit to negotiate with that lobby in the event of an England-Scotland split. The same goes for Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. In the event of a Yes vote in Scotland we in England will need to have a competent negotiating team able to stand up for English issues and able to drive as hard a bargain as possible with the Scottish negotiating team - this will mean specific elections.
To pretend that the politicians who failed to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom are competent to negotiate the break up of the United Kingdom is not credible.
I do not want the Westminster politicians buying the Scots off with money from English taxpayers so that they can pretend that nothing has changed, that we are still a great power, that the British Prime Minister can still swagger about the world stage "punching above our weight".
Nor do I agree to the last minute extra devolution offer that has been made. There is no mandate for this serious constitutional change and the offer has no validity. If necessary I will vote and campaign against my own party to make sure the English people are not sold down the river.
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