Over the past decade, support for an English Parliament has grown, from 18% to 29% – and 40% believe that the current “Barnett forumla” system is unfair.
The way devolution has been set up to work currently is untenable. There is a massive democratic deficit as Scotland and Wales both have:

Their own Parliament or Assembly with various law-making powers

More MPs than their population justifies

Scotland and Wales benefit massively from the Barnett formula, gaining £1-1.5k extra per person every year – all paid for by English taxes!

There is no denying that the …

A decision has been reached to hold a series of debates regarding the future of the entire country, between the two men vying to be Prime Minister for the next five years and Nick Clegg.
Yet some are not happy. Specifically, Ieuan Wyn Jones and Alex Salmond (the leaders of Plaid Cymru and the SNP, by the way) as well as UKIP and the Greens, who are threatening legal action because they haven’t been invited to take part.
But why should they? None of them are really national parties – only the …

The Scottish Parliament should not be given any further powers as it currently stands. There is already a massive disparity between Scotland and the rest of the UK, both in the amount of UK money spent on it and through the democratic deficit.
Holyrood should not get any furthers powers until the Welsh Assembly has been given some more and England has a parliament of its own. The democratic deficit is still massive, the West Lothian Question is as poignant as ever.
If Holyrood are given any more powers, it should come …

So say the Scots:

9% disapproive of the way devolution has worked
46% say it has made absolutely no difference
41% appriove of how devolution has worked.

So 55% of Scottish people either think that devolution has been bad or pointless. Hardly a record to be proud of.
Devolution has not worked properly, and Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP who have all been a part of a Scottish executive are all to blame.
Devolution can work, but it needs to be managed well, and be dedicated to more than just the personal glorification of …

So the SNP are determined to go ahead with their plan to stop the sale of “cut-price” alcohol. Why? To cut the “misuse” of alcohol.
They propose to make the minimum price of alcohol about 40p per unit and ban promotions on alcohol. How stupid can they be?
Raising the price of alcohol won’t prevent any misuse of alcohol – all it will do is cost people more. Anyone who drinks to excess won’t stop just because it costs them a bit more – they’ll just cut it out from somewhere else, …

Pity it doesn’t count for anything.

The Scottish Parliament has voted against the UK Government’s plans to introduce ID cards.
MSPs backed a Scottish Government motion stating the scheme would not increase security or deter crime, while raising concerns about civil liberties…
But Labour declined to back the motion, saying parliament should focus on issues which were devolved to Scotland. (BBC)

To a certain extent, yes, the Scottish Parliament should only focus on devolved matters. But ID cards are such an important issue for us all that any intervention from politicians against these impositions …

Surprisingly, Labour won the by-election in Glenthrothes. I say “surprisingly”, but Labour were never out of the game. They always had a chance of winning, and only idiots *cough*Salmond*cough* said that it was in the bag for the SNP.
However, the amount of its vote that Labour managed to keep is surprising. In 2005, Labour had a majority of 10,664, and in 2008 a majority of 6,737, a loss of 4,000. The SNP increased its vote by 4,500, and both the Conservatives and Lib Dems lost their deposit. The biggest loser …

Who’da thunk that sticky-back plastic and toilet rolls can instigate evil?
Yet according to an SNP MSP it does.
However, he does think that Hitler knew how to use TV “imaginatively”.
The best comeback is from a Lib Dem MSP, Margaret Smith:

Today’s was an interesting contribution, which referred to the evil-doing of Blue Peter but the imaginativeness of Hitler. One could only guess what Adolf would have done if he had access to sticky back plastic.

Set your alarm clocks.
6th November is volcano day.
The day that Gordon Brown’s future becomes clear: will he stay or will he be forced out?
It’s all down to the people of Glenthrothes.

Via ConservativeHome