“The fact that the UK is constantly
outvoted shows that we need to renegotiate our terms of membership. I want to see a new relationship based on
trade and friendly co-operation with the ability to make our own rules in our
own parliament.”
To me, that
sounds like an awfully familiar argument heard regularly in Wales and Scotland
about decisions made in the UK Parliament.
But the standard response from people like Paterson is
that the UK is a single entity with a single parliament, and that we should
stop whingeing about the results of democracy. Why is unhappiness about being outvoted by our neighbours
‘narrow nationalism’ only when expressed by the Welsh or the Scots?
Posts
2 comments:
The answer to the question of 'narrow nationalism' is expressed very clearly in your last sentence.
Welsh and Scots make up a minority of the population in both Wales and Scotland. First and foremost both populations are majority British. And such Britishness allows anyone residing in Scotland or Wales, be they of Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish or some other origin, to participate in the democratic processes of this nation.
Fortunately or otherwise there is no escaping this simple truth.
Where to start?
"Welsh and Scots make up a minority of the population in both Wales and Scotland. First and foremost both populations are majority British."
These two sentences are contentious, to say the least, although clearly you view them as incontrovertible fact. However, leaving that aside, if I reword the next sentence of your comment as follows:
"The population of the UK is majority European. And such Europeanness allows anyone residing in the UK to participate in the democratic process of the EU.",
can I assume that that's what your response to Owen Paterson would be?
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