This new parliament is going to be a whole lot more interesting than at first appeared. The signal was the sinking of the flagship Bill of Rights even before it put to sea. Up till now the UK has been one solid mass controlled by and from Westminster and the constituent nations had to do as they were told. This is no longer the case as the muddle of our unwritten constitution which invests all power and authority with the government which can change it at any time, begins to emerge. Because parts of it are written in the form of statutes which cannot be taken away, whatever Westminster says, without breaking up the Union in the process.
I refer to the fact that the Human Rights Act is part of the devolution settlements for all three nations and very much a red line for Scotland. No way would it allow the ultimate guarantee of the freedoms to be transferred from the collective guarantee enshrined in perpetuity at Strasbourg, to the flexible constitutional vacuum of London, subject to amendment at any time by a Tory majority. So the plan has been put on hold to save face, but in reality it is over. The narrowness of Cameron’s majority was the explanation, but the legal challenges were ultimately the cause.
Thus it will be over the referendum on leaving the EU. The SNP are already saying that a No vote must occur in every country in the UK in order for the UK to leave. This reflects the devolution of political authority to empower the people of the nations. Of course the massive inbuilt dominance of the populous England could enable it to override Yes votes of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all of whom want to stay in the EU, but to do so would guarantee that the Union would bust apart and like Humpty Dumpty would be bust for good.
The same Europhobes who clamour for exit are also the most committed unionists. In a million years they never thought they would end up here. Because by muddle and misunderstanding and a lack of strategic vision now common among English politicians, the UK can no longer be governed as one. It can only remain intact through the agreement of its constituent parts. Issue by issue. And as time goes on the issues will multiply.