Free drugs.

garinda · 02-04-2007, 11:23

Once again as part of the United Kingdom, the English lose out. From April 1st the Welsh will get free prescriptions, just as the cost of our prescriptions rise by twenty pence.

In Scotland student don't pay university fees, unlike in England. In Scotland old people get free residential care, and don't have to sell their homes to pay for any care they may need, unlike in England. Now we have the Welsh with their free prescriptions.

England, the country that puts the most money into the pot, and gets the least out.

With all this devolution for all the neighbouring countries in the United Kingdom, when are we going to have a political body that looks solely after the interests of the English?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6513579.stm?ls

lancsdave · 02-04-2007, 11:45

The thing that annoys me is that all the Welsh & Scottish MP's actually decide on what we get. They have their own buildings of useless money wasting, why don't they get the hell out of ours ?

garinda · 02-04-2007, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancsdave

The thing that annoys me is that all the Welsh & Scottish MP's actually decide on what we get. They have their own buildings of useless money wasting, why don't they get the hell out of ours ?

Yes you are absloutely right. We have Scottish and Welsh members of parliament voting on issues that don't even affect their countries, only England. Madness.

garinda · 02-04-2007, 11:51

If the Scots and Welsh want true devolution, give them it. As Dave said they already have their massively expensive parliament buildings in place, and let them get on with it alone, and keep Westminster for all things English.

andrewb · 02-04-2007, 12:15

Scotland are pushing for devolution, well let them have it, they'll realize how much we subsidize them then! (and then we'd get conservatives in power since last election more people voted Tory than Labour in England)

SPUGGIE J · 02-04-2007, 13:12

Not all want devolution and me I have mixed feelings. Besides they wouldn't have the cash to build a bigger wall. Not to keep people out but people in.

So lets pose this question;

"If the Scots go it alone who gets the nukes based on Scottish soil bearing in mind they ain't popular"?

I will take pills to keep me in dreamland until this issue is sorted.

Wynonie Harris · 02-04-2007, 13:28

Move 'em to the top of the Coppice and pretend they're Panopticons. Gayle might even be able to get a grant for them!

West Ender · 02-04-2007, 21:16

Call me thick but I don't understand how the government of the, supposedly, United Kingdom can sanction differentiation between areas. If Scotland and Wales are not devolved from the Union then surely they should be part of the legislation of the whole of the British Isles? The notion, not less the fact, of separate laws and finances for each country in the U K means, literally, there is no unity. There is, therefore, no United Kingdom.

I am now considering advising my son and younger daughter to move to Wales, for free prescriptions, and my elder daughter to move to Scotland so my grandson won't come out of university with the massive debt he is presently facing when he graduates.

By the way, I've had neighbours who moved to both locations because housing is so much cheaper than here in North West England.

Margaret Pilkington · 02-04-2007, 21:21

If Scotland and Wales achieve their aims to become devolved...will we be called the Dis-united Kingdom??????

Eric · 02-04-2007, 22:19

It's difficult adding to this discurssion as an expat. And I do not mind being told to mind my own business in cases such as the one being discussed here ... but here goes.
In Canada we have ten provinces, three semi-independent territories, and a large first nations population. In a country as large as this - 2nd largest in the world in area - there are immense regional differences. Quebec is a francphone province, Newfoundland is poor, Alberta is rolling in oil dollars, and British Columbia is, well, different. The prairies have an economy based on agriculture. The major cities, particularly Toronto, have large immigrant populations etc., etc. The Provinces control education, own the mineral rights, operate the health care system, have their own parliaments, raise their own taxes, and police themselves. The feds transfer the national wealth. The poorer provinces receive transefer payment to help them out and the richer provinces help - not without complaint - to fund this. With a little bickering and separtist noises from Quebec we all seem to get along. I get the sense, though maybe I'm wrong, that the UK seems to be moving towards a federal system.
It's not an easy way to govern a country, and the gripes I read here, I hear in the Canadian media everyday. But it does work. Often areas such as Quebec are happy with a recognition of their cultural differences, their uniqueness in the cultural mosaic. In England, there is a difference between north and south, rich and poor, upper class and lower class, Ossy and the rest of the country. I believe that tolerance, respecting differnce, a wish to form unity out of diversity, while recognizing the strength that this diversity brings, will in the long run strengthen the nation.
The third largest party in our house of commons is the Bloc Qubecois, a party which has separation from Canada as one of its major phhilosophical underpinnings. Rather than a weakness of our system, many Canadians see it as a strength.
With devolution, I don't think that the UK will become the disunited Kingdom. I don't think too many people in the world think of Canada as a disunited country of squabling provinces and antagonistic ethnic groups.

garinda · 02-04-2007, 22:29

Eric, as an expat your input is as valuable as anyone elses.

I don't think anyone has a problem with the various countries that make up the United Kingdom, celebrating their cultural identities. However, personally I do have a problem with politicans from other countries voting on issues that aren't concerned with the countries they represent. Scottish MPs voting on education Bills, that aren't applicable in their own country, is a disgrace. Especially as university tution fees are free in Scotland, unlike England.

Either you have true devolution, or you don't. This hotch-potch is just a shambles, with England coming off the worse.

Ianto.W. · 03-04-2007, 01:35

Like the Queen said when commenting on the subject of devolution, "I was crowned Queen of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales", in short Gt Britain. United we stand divided we fall.

Eric · 03-04-2007, 02:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

Like the Queen said when commenting on the subject of devolution, "I was crowned Queen of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales", in short Gt Britain. United we stand divided we fall.

I don't think that your "in short" necessarily follows logically from the Queen's statement.

She is also Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. The quote is definitely ambiguous. Or, at least, is wide open to interpretation.

steeljack · 03-04-2007, 03:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

Like the Queen said when commenting on the subject of devolution, "I was crowned Queen of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales", in short Gt Britain. United we stand divided we fall.

I think she was also crowned Queen of all Dominions and Territories, (not sure about the Protectorates ) strange how the "colonials" hold her (the office) in higher respect than the Brits in Tony's new modern do as like UK

Ianto.W. · 03-04-2007, 13:12

Blame it on the Merlot Eric and steeljack, no offence was intended, I was just trying to cut it short as I am sure some members think I am a right 'WINDBAG', don't answer that Less.