The unelected House of Lords
What is the statutary quorum required for the House of Commons to pass a Bill? Answer: 12.
What is the statutary quorum required for the House of Lords to endorse a Bill?
Answer: 3
Fifteen people can alter your life and mine irrevocably, plus the lives of every man woman and child in the United Kingdom if Westminster’s MPs so desire, and they can do it on an overnight sitting without warning.
Let no one try to convince you that is good, healthy democracy at work. It sucks.
Those fifteen – three unelected – can remove any, or all, of Scotland’s devolutionary powers, and indeed, can and have warned they will take all sorts of retribution if Scotland fails to win its plebiscite for genuine democracy.
In a desperate bid to stymie real rights and real justice for Scotland, London’s politicians and their lickspittle assistants offer promises of this or that, but so far all promissory notes come with conditions, some draconian, some sly, others nothing but hot air.
Always read the small print.
A No vote will be translated as a mandate to take full control of all Scotland’s governance for a generation to come, at the very least. The warnings are all there: a massive reduction in the Barnett formula; the continued retention and squandering of profits from North Sea Oil and gas; Trident stays in Scotland; reduction in the number of Scottish MPs in Westminster; increased taxes, bedroom Tax made UK universal; degredation of welfare services; extensive privatisation of Scotland’s health service; control over Scotland’s energy industry – already underway by Lords vote; the spread of food banks; involuntary involvement in illegal wars; and almost certainly a Bill to reduce the chances even further of a referendum on self-determination ever being possible again.
The final boot to the testicles is the one concocted by a committee in the House of Lords legitimised in a Report on Scottish independence. “In the event of a Yes vote this House retains the right to delay independence if it is not in the interest of the United Kingdom.”
Delay? Delay democracy? Legitimately? In whose name? For how long?
Fifteen people rule the UK, the rest might as well stay home, benches empty.
Who calls that ignoble process democracy at its most refined?
That’s easy to answer:
People who wish to keep control of Scotland and Scotland docile.
Grouse Beater 
Twelve in the HOC and three in the HOL? Otherwise you are right, we have never ever had Democracy. Working people were the last to be considered as suitable to have any say in Government with my own sex being the very last. Westminster has been over due for revolution for centuries far less decades. We are still ruled by the self same people we have always been since William of Normandy arrived at Hastings and got rid of the Saxon King Harold. Trouble was that David the First got contaminated with the same rubbish and ergo here we are.
Time now for our revolution as I see the YES vote.
That’s what happens when you have one eye on a Wimbeledon final! Corrected. And I like use of the word ‘revolution’ in your last sentence.
Democracy my ….
I want to believe we will kick them in the testicles come the 18th September.
Good post but scary.
I keep swithering between positivity ie. we will definitely win and fear that Westminster has something very frightening in it’s underbelly to cheat us out of independence. The more I learn about how corrupt they have been in the past the more I fear. I’m even more determined to vote YES as are my family so come what may I am sure I will see Scotland independent before I pop my clogs lol.8-)
Democracy delayed is democracy denied.
Anyone listening to the last 30 minutes of the recent HoL ‘Scotland’ debate will have seen Jim Wallace being battered by Foulkes, Forsyth, and the other ‘usual suspects’.
They were pushing Wallace to admit that Section 30(2) of the Edinburgh Agreement allowed for EVERYTHING being discussed in the post-Yes negotiations to be endorsed, debated, and verified by BOTH Houses before any agreement could be passed.
Technically this could extend the negotiations by years, and I wouldn’t put it passed Forsyth&Co to try it.
Thank goodness I am not the best with figures even though that is how I earned my seed corn for ever.
I see revolution, I am sure others do too.
There is a steady supply of Scotsmen ready to sell their country in the service of their career prospects and pension.
Reblogged this on Are We Really Better Together? and commented:
“Fifteen people can alter your life and mine irrevocably, plus the lives of every man woman and child in the United Kingdom if Westminster’s MPs so desire, and they can do it on an overnight sitting without warning.”
“Those fifteen – three unelected – can remove any, or all, of Scotland’s devolutionary powers, and indeed, can and have warned they will take all sorts of retribution if Scotland fails to win its plebiscite for genuine democracy.”
Have to say i feel uncomfortable after reading that.
We really need to win this referendum or we’re in a whole lot of shit. There will be some revenge dished out , i feel.
Just as well we’re almost there . Big win and even bigger party.
I spoke to about 12/15 folk today and everyone says YES . And they commentated on my Wings badge.We are everywhere.
Thanks for the education and when the constitution is wrote i’ll be having a close look. No one should be allowed that much power..
I spoke to about 12/15 folk today and everyone says YES .
That’s very reassuring, YesGuy.
Sadly, the colonial mentality lingers on in all the pronouncements of no deals, no discounts, and no mercy if Scotland votes Yes or No; so, we have nothing to lose by Yes and regaining our dignity.
This means that if cabinet met in the house of commons they would be well more than quorate? I think the same applies to Government Ministers in the Lords.