The Welsh national dish...

WTF? That is an absolutely absurd idea. The Union Flag is an iconic image, and there's hardly an easy way in which to combine the Welsh dragon into it without it looking absolutely stupid. A flag is just a symbol, it isn't a direct representation of a nation. All flags are symbols - after all, what else can you do with a rectangle and about three different colours?

As much as I like the aesthetics of the Welsh flag, how could it be adapted into the Union Flag without looking ridiculous? The Union Flag is our flag, and to want to change it just because is just plain stupid.

Source: BBC

Today is "Devolution Day" in Wales, a decade since the referendum narrowly in favour of devolution, which is now claimed by First Minister Rhodri Morgan to be the glue which unites Wales and allows it to "grow up". Bloggers such as Ordovicius want the Welsh Assembly to gain more powers and become a parliament like that in Scotland. I can but agree with him that it should be - and there should be an English Parliament as well.

But will - or could - this lead to the situation that Belgium is in now?

Is this going to happen to Britain in the future? Will fish'n'chips end up being all that holds a devolved, federal, Britain together in the future? Probably not. If the UK breaks up into separate parts it will be long before such a tenuous link develops as the only reason for the Union.

But the UK is in far more serious danger for as long as there is unequal devolution. There should be English, Scottish, and Welsh Parliaments all with equal powers, and equal sized constituencies for the federal government. That is the only way that the UK can prevent getting into a similar and as degrading state as Belgium currently is. Devolution must be equal or non-existent.

Sources: The Telegraph, icWales

It seems that even some on the Left are coming around to the inherent problems with the current constitutional situation:

To say that it is "unfair" is a gross understatement. When Scottish MPs have a potentially decisive vote over policies that do not affect their constituents at all, and especially when they use and abuse the ability, it is more than "unfair" - it is absolutely wrong, on pretty much every level. If you believe in democracy, then you can't accept the current status quo.

The "English votes for English laws" idea can only possibly work as an immediate, short-term solution. Fundamentally, the entire political system in the UK needs some sort of overhaul to reconcile devolution to all constituent parts of the United Kingdom and fit it with out constitution. The IPPR idea of a "British Constitutional Convention" is a good one. Instead of piecemeal approaches to change, the entire system needs to be considered as a whole.

An "English votes for English laws" programme should be instituted immediately whilst considerations on the final format of the solution is decided. This is the minimum requirement. As far as I am concerned, an English Parliament is essential. It does require any [or certainly many] extra politicians, as MPs could carry out their role in both devolved and national parliaments. Neither would an English parliament need a new building - Westminster Palace can serve fine for both. English nationalism is growing, and must be heeded - sooner or later.

Source: The Telegraph

Gordon Brown announced back in July that the Union flag could now be flown from public buildings on any day, rather than the previous restrictions of 18 days a year. However, this now seems to not apply to Scotland:

"Proposals to fly the Union flag every day on public buildings are set not to apply to Scottish Executive sites.
The government published the plans earlier this week, and they follow Gordon Brown raising the issue of celebrating Britishness in January.
The SNP said Justice Secretary Jack Straw assured the policy would not cover executive buildings.
SNP leader Alex Salmond, now first minister, previously said Britishness "went bust long ago" in Scotland." (BBC)

Whilst it is understandable that on a few places, such as Holyrood, the Saltire [the Scottish flag] be flown alongside the Union flag, it should not replace it. We are all still in the United Kingdom, whichever part you may be in.

What this shows mostly, however, is that despite Gordon Brown's oft-made commitment to Britishness, he is still at heart a Scot - and will give things to Scotland that he won't to England. I have no problem at all with Scottish public buildings being allowed to fly to Saltire - but it should not be allowed as a replacement for the Union flag. And if Scottish public buildings can fly the Saltire, then English public buildings should be allowed to fly the St. George's Cross, and Welsh public buildings the Red Dragon.

We are all supposed to be equal partners in the Union - yet inequality is rampant. If England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are equal constituents of the United Kingdom, then they should all have the same rights and abilities. And it is the English who lose out again and again. It is not acceptable.

Source: BBC

The expected rainbow coalition in Wales has fallen apart as the Liberal Democrats pull out of the plans. Since the reason that a rainbow coalition was proposed was due to the Liberal Democrats pulling out of talks with Labour, that they then decide not to enter a coalition with Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives doesn't show them in a good light and opens the door for a minority Labour administration. Ieuan Wyn Jones, Plaid Cymru leader and the man who would have been First Minister said:

"The Liberal Democrats have turned their backs on their duty to the people of Wales and have shown absolute contempt for the electorate... It was as a result of their decision to suspend talks with Labour that Plaid Cymru was required to offer an alternative government. The Liberal Democrats have now shown that they are unable to take serious decisions and are undeserving of government."

And he's quite right. The Liberal Democrats have shown themselves unwilling to take serious decisions and their inability to commit to a coalition has thus meant that in both Wales and Scotland there will be a minority government - which can never be truly effective at governing.

It is for this reason that it is damn good that our electoral system has not fallen into the trap of Proportional Representation, which is claimed to be "more democratic". But is it? Not in the slightest. If anything, PR means less democracy. The PR electoral system means that it is very very rare for any single party to have a majority of seats in the legislature, and in a parliamentary system such as ours, that really is a very bad thing for several reasons:

1. There is a complete lack of accountability to the electorate. It is not possible to vote a party out of government under PR. Instead all it is possible to do is decide their relative strengths.
2. Coalition governments are not effective. Since there will be many different views on various policies amongst the parties, all issues will cause arguments.
3. Coalition governments are rarely stable. They fall apart as infighting and political differences arise.
4. Under Proportional Representation you do not, ever, get to vote on who runs the government. That is decided by the political elites within the parties as they argue over who gets what and what concessions they get, etc etc.
5. PR encourages social cleavages and disunity within the state, as every conceivable minority will end up with a different party to "represent their views".

Of course, the points above don't mean that PR never works, and never can, but they are huge arguments against it. PR could only be necessary in a very heterogeneous state where social cleavages are gaping chasms. In Britain - and in most countries - that certainly doesn't exist.

As far as I can see, proportional representation has far more definite negative effects than potential benefits. Especially since it produces minority governments such as now in Wales and Scotland which are thus crippled by the lack of a majority and minimal chance of orchestrating any real change.

There is no gold at the end of any rainbow coalition. (Well, some fool's gold, maybe.)

Sources: The Times - article 1, article 2; BBC, ePolitix