Time for an SNP rebrand- Party of Scotland?

There can be little debate that the Scottish Independence Referendum has been healthy in terms of shaping the future of the Union.  As much as I am pleased with the outcome, I also pay respect to some of the perfectly solid arguments made by Alex Salmond throughout the campaign.  One argument in particular is the economic dominance London has over the whole UK.

Had the Scots voted the other way, I have no doubt that the inevitable debate on English Regions acquiring more powers at the expense of  Central Government, would have accelerated.  As it is the Scottish Referendum still appears to be acting as a wake up call to the dominance of the isolated Westminster elite.

Had the Scots been asked a rather different question instead- should Scotland become part of a Great Britain Sporting Team across all sports, then I am convinced the Scots would have said a bigger NO than the 55% delivered by this Independence Referendum.  The ability to accomodate different distinct national identities is a massive strength of the Union that should not be underestimated.

The challenges of maintaining the Union now go beyond addressing English devolution imbalances and ensuring that Scotland gets that craved Devo-Max option, which appears to have cross-party support across pro-unionist parties.  Potentially, not all of the nations of the UK have the same recognition that Scotland does, along with Wales and Northern Ireland.  Having gained National Minority status earlier this year, steps must now be taken to ensure that Cornwall gets it's own National Assembly along with their own sporting independence, if that is what the Cornish people want.

I believe that the imbalance currently being felt by some Cornish people, offers the Scottish Nationalist Party the opportunity to reinvent itself against the backdrop of last night's crushing referendum result.  Scottish Politics will always need a force to counterweight Scottish Labour.  The Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Liberal Democrats simply can't provide it.  The referendum result does not alter the SNP's electoral success ever since Scottish Devolution was set up.

With the Union of the United Kingdom still to face some challenges ahead, the interests of the Scottish electorate may now be better served by a strong party that will stand up for Scottish interests within the Union.  Mebyon Kernow, Cornwall's equivalent of the Scottish Nationalist Party has an English language name that simply reads Party of Cornwall.  Mebyon Kernow's current aims are for Cornwall to acquire a National Assembly, as opposed to separation from the Union.  The SNP rebranding to PARTY OF SCOTLAND may well strike the right chord with Scottish voters whose disillusionment with the Westminster Village shows little sign of going away.

Had Scotland said YES..........

SO SCOTLAND HAS SAID NO.  BUT HAD THEY SAID YES, HERE IS A POST WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ENTITLED "Scotland saying YES must now shake up the remaining UK!"

Recent Scottish turnout in elections to the the Scottish Parliament and the UK General Election has ranged from little above 50% to little above 60%.  Considering there is a section of society across the whole of Britain who see little point in voting, a one off question with such constitutional significance, always had the potential to awaken silent voters.

Like many English people, I would have preferred Scotland to have voted to remain in the UK.  But I have always respected this to be a matter of self-determination for the Scottish people.  Any suggestion that English people should also have had a say, is quite frankly preposterous.  Furthermore, retaining the Union when one significant partner is unhappy would ultimately benefit nobody.

The argument from the No Campaign about the uncertainty of a Currency Union Post-Independence was always a difficulty for Alex Salmond and his inner circle.  Former English talkshow host Clive Anderson queried what sort of independence it would actually be.  This is correct.

On the other side of the coin though, having Better Together politicians promising greater powers for the Scottish Parliament raises the question of what kind of staying in the Union arrangement that is also.  Despite my preference for the 300 year plus Union to remain intact, it did dawn on me that the longer the campaign progressed, that I may well have fallen into the undecided category had I been Scottish.

The narrow margin of victory may leave concerns of a divided nation.  But that is not the main point.  Any democratic exercise which has succeeded in engaging a significant proportion of the population who don't normally vote, must be celebrated.

Now that Scotland has said Yes, ALL THE VERY BEST TO THEM IN GOING IT ALONE.  Despite what has been said by Better Together politicians on the subject of a Currency Union, we must now have an open mind on this subject.  For UK Plc to remain a successful trading nation, we must not allow an impression of sour grapes to be viewed from around the world.

I am not saying we must now embrace Currency Union.  But I certainly do feel it would be folly to rule it out completely.  On the other hand, Scotland joining the Euro may have a place in the currency debate that now lies ahead.  I do agree with Alex Salmond that Scotland's economy is more in sink with England's than with continental Europe.  But it is also true that Scotland's economy is probably more of a fit for Currency Union with Germany than Greece ever was!

Scotland has ultimately said Yes because the Westminster Village is too detached from the daily realities of ordinary Scots.  That same detachment also applies to the English Regions.  I know this is totally random by bringing in the Shale Gas Fracking debate, but I have said this before and will say it again- FRACKING IS A CLASSIC REASON WHY ENGLAND NEEDS REGIONAL DEVOLUTION!

The Fracking of Shale Gas is a classic issue in which the balancing of potential benefits against the risks require a legislative voice much closer to home.  On that note, an English Parliament as a second London based Parliament was never the great remedy to the West Lothian question which some Conservative MPs like John Redwood have claimed.

Some English voters with left wing leaning tendencies will now fear almost permanent Tory Government.  It is important to remember some wise sentiments by the former Conservative Scottish Secretary Lord Michael Forsyth.  He has mentioned that the Scottish Labour Party probably thought they would have almost total domination in the Holyrood Parliament following the start of Scottish Devolution.  Considering the direction Scottish Politics has now gone, you never can tell.

The Fracking debate is not only an issue in the northern and largely Labour  dominated regions of England.  It has also been a big issue in the West Sussex Village of Balcombe, where the local MP is Conservative Minister Francis Maude.  It is now pretty clear that people across the remaining UK feel they are too detached from the Westminster Village!

And on the note of recognising such detachment, I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALEX SALMOND'S ACHIEVEMENTS CAN BE SEEN AS AN INSPIRATION TO MANY ENGLISH PEOPLE.