Scot Nats, you'll love this

Blog by someone or other: "Borderlands aka new commonwealth".

That's interesting. I think it's so sad that there are tensions between the regions of England and Scotland and Wales and that the resentment is directed to 'London'.

The London that is the focus of resentment is the London that is dominated by the privileged and wealthy and bears little relationship to the vast majority of Londoners who are equally fed up with the inequalities they experience and the lack of employment beyond London and the South East.

If proper controls had been taken over many past decades of transport, investment in key industries and IT, relocating government departments to other major cities and most importantly preventing new housing from being bought by foreign investors, then all the cities of the UK could develop appropriately without the dreadful imbalance that we see at the moment.

I would be sad to see Scotland depart because I think we are always better together, but I can understand many of the reasons.

As for the border, well it is where it is, and there's no use skriking over it. And the thought of losing the Geordies as well is insupportable.

I do wonder if the imbalance is as huge as it is made out to be. Also, is it huger than the 'imbalance' (if that's what it is) between capital cities in other countries and the non-capital cities?

Aren't the Orkneys talking about joining Norway? Maybe Birmingham could decide to be independent and become a tax haven [then everyone would want to live there ]. The possibilities are endless.

I think it is. In 2013 house prices in London rose by 40%. In the north west and north east of England they fell by more than 21%. They also fell in other regions of England. That's a massive imbalance and makes it almost impossible for people to move. This is a symptom of deep rooted imbalances in economic development where jobs and growth are concentrated in London and the south-east. This can't be good for anybody.

I can't speak for all other countries, but Paris does not dominate in France, The Hague in the Netherlands or Rome in Italy.

I agree with MiceElf up to a point but I think that many of us out in the sticks feel our legislators are too remote and that decisions are made without any reference to local conditions or opinions. Increasingly, decisions made by local government can be overridden by central government. (Generalisation/exaggeration alert) It's made worse because instead of having the kind of career path MPs used to have, they all seem to be urban hacks and apparatchiks who are parachuted in to any seat anywhere in the country. They don't live in their constituency, unless it's within an hour of London. Their spouses have jobs in the capital and their children go to schools there. The semi-independence of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland makes all this more apparent. And the expenses scandal, with misleading news stories about second homes, made it worse. A new, young MP said on television the other day that she had worked very hard for her adoption as a candidate, visiting every house in the constituency. Hundreds of volunteers, not seeking a seat, could say the same. Not quite like five years on the local council or even an ordinary job in a given place.

I wouldn't want my prospective MP candidate, of whatever political persuasion, to visit my house. I don't call that hard work; I call it being a pain in the neck.

I agree, lily, about the need for politicians to have 'proper' jobs for a while before going into politics full time, and they should live in their constituencies too. Tricky if their partner works in London though.

I think I'm going to start a campaign to have Alaska returned to Russia and Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Oklahoma, etc. returned to France.

absent

And California, Florida, etc to Spain.

New York/Amsterdam to the Netherlands?

Or even better, to the indigenous First Nation Americans.

Maryland, Virginia, Georgia to England? And Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire. Share Maine and Vermont with France.

And Aquitaine with England. How civilised would that be? Bourdeaux at half the price.

don't you want my state? It's pretty!has all 4 seasons!

Where are you Envious?

Tennessee....

If it includes Dollywood!

Could we re arrange things so that my dream of winning the Eurovision Song Contest again will be realised. Please....

It does...and the beautiful Smokey Mountains right by it!

I love dolly Parton!

I was born and lived only a whole month in Mississippi ( thank goodness). Also spelled "M-I crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I- humpback-humpback-I !

We'll have you Envious. Love the south.

Tennessee is beautiful, especially the Great Smoky Mountains. I loved Nashville and Memphis, too. What a great place to live, Envious.