mistermack wrote:ronmcd wrote:PsychoSerenity wrote:To put it into perspective, the opposite question, worded the same, would be:
"Do you agree that Scotland should be part of the United Kingdom".
ronmcd, if you think the wording is fair and/or doesn't matter much, would you be happy with this question?
Sure, if it were the UK who had a mandate to ask such a question. But they don't. The Scottish government do have a mandate to ask "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?", having included an independence referendum policy in their manifesto for the 2011 election.
I think we have son-of-Salmond here.
The UK government have a duty to ensure the question is fair and unbiased and clear.
So does the electoral commission.
Ha. Do you never tire of embarrassing yourself on this topic? No. No, you don't.
The UK government and Scottish government have worked cooperatively and consensually in producing the agreement which devolved the power to the Scottish Parliament to hold the referendum.
The Scottish government will do exactly as any UK govt would do in holding a referendum, same rules apply. Are you really suggesting (I know you are) that the Scottish Parliament is less trustworthy than Westminister? How odd. Why ARE Scots so devious, please tell me?
As for the Electoral Commission, that is indeed their role. To scrutinise the process and the question, and
ADVISE a Parliament (in this case Holyrood) on the question specifically after they have tested it. Personally I suspect the Scottish Parliament will approve any changes they recommend, but it will only be a recommendation. Keep in mind, the original question put forward by Clegg for the AV referendum was changed after EC advice. Was Clegg being "
slimy" as you earlier referred to Alex Salmond? And just last year the UK government ... overruled the EC on a referendum wording! (SHOCK!!!!!)
Briefly, by way of providing that contextual background, the Government proposed in the House in the Localism Bill, which was enacted in 2011, that we move from a system in which protection for council tax payers against excessive council tax increases was afforded by means of capping to one in which protection will be provided through a referendum, and the draft regulations will bring that into force. We have consulted with the Electoral Commission, as we are required to, and although we have accepted most of its proposals, we disagreed with its suggestion for the wording. I think that those of us who have served in local government would recognise that the wording we have adopted is more appropriate.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 202s01.htm
Hilarious!
