I weary of the whingeing which has continued even though the Scots now have their own parliament.

So says Michael Portillo in the middle of an article in the Sunday Times. ( You will note from previous posts that I am not a 100% Portillo fan. ) And I have to say its a very good summary of the upcoming problems - that have been ignored by the Labour Party and I have to say the Liberal Democrats.

Yes the Lib Dems will no doubt try their opportunism again - Simon Hughes says he's for English votes on English matters - but they helped set up the Scottish constitutional convention and have been in government in Wales and Scotland. They - like Labour - may have wished to carve England up into bit sized regions where they could run little fiefdoms, but it looks like the English people won't let them. We have yet to find out what the Conservative position will be.

I read this after seeing it refered to by ContraTory ( by the way ContraTory - I'd have left a comment on you post- but I'm never sure which system the user name and password applies to ? Is it Google Blogger or another site ? ).

Scotland is an increasingly insular country. Its own media points inwards - and argue about whether there should be more Scottish only coverage not less - the argument about the 'Scottish Six' is a great example of this. The Scottish media supported devolution as it was good for their sales and careers. They are not conveying to their customers the dangerous position they have now placed them in. I've had a go at the media's Little Scotlanders before ...

The world cup is a further ratchet up in the gradual awakening of England - see my feeling on SNP stirring it up - and Iain Dales comments on Jack O'Connell. England gets a very bad deal out of this Scottish Labour government and people are starting to work this out - example here.

I don't know who will win the World cup, but I know who has lost. Gordon Brown shouldn't be worried - its past that - he's finished. ( As his party well knows - which is why the leadership campaign is getting under way - thinly disguised as reconnecting to the leadership voters members and going for the deputy leadership.) The only question is whether this will lead to divorce of the United Kingdom or whether we can adjust ( ie create an English Parliament – fair funding for England vs Scotland – end Barnett formula ), understand a bit more (not all Scots football fans are Anglophobic - they just enjoy seeing England lose - more like sibling rivalry) and forgive where necessary (that's all of us )- to patch things together.

I'm not convinced this will happen. I attended a wedding just after Scottish devolution was announced which was presided over by a church of Scotland minister who runs a church in London for Scots. I told him this would lead to the break up of the UK, and he just couldn't see it. I wonder if he still holds that opinion ? If he and his fellow Scots still do then the UK is doomed.