Postby Matty_the_Emo_Slayer » Sun Sep 21, 2014 5:40 pm
The 1973 referendum was a joke. The majority of catholics didn't vote back then and rightly so seeing as so many election boundaries were gerrymandered to return Unionist majorities making it pointless to even bother. This isn't just the Orange State of 1921-1972 I'm talking about here, those boundaries remained for a good while into the return to rule from Westminster. 99% of people who voted in that election voted to stay in the UK because 99% of the people voted were protestant unionists. It was a Downing Street public relations exercise to justify internment, state-sponsored violence and diplock courts to the international media, simple as that.
And even now the current freedom to choose counts for shite all when we don't have the self-governance to make it financially viable. We have different economic needs here than England but we still get lumbered with a one-size-fits-all taxing and spending programme that is designed only with England in mind. Tory MPs have a chip on their shoulders about NI MPs getting a say in English matters? Fine, we'll trade you powers over our tax and public spending. It's only 18 votes out 650 anyway, 5 of them who abstain. We're not going to be able to change anything for ourselves from Westminster, and we can do fuck all from Stormont without that remit. Catch 22 situation. But hey, it doesn't matter as long as we know we can vote to leave at any time?
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