Just another reason not to vote Tory

England 55 million people, Scotland 5.5 million, English constituencies 529, Scottish constituencies 59. Now it's possible that in the event of a hung parliament that Scottish, Welsh even Northern Irish MP's will hold the balance of power and will naturally seek to to gain an advantage for their countries. However the ruling party will consist of mostly English MP's voted in by English voters.

So, you'd think that someone in the Tory party would twig that making announcements that Scotland will avoid any cuts for a year whilst hitting the English full on with cuts and stealth taxes straight away is not necessarily the best way to gain ground in marginal constituencies in England.

Scotland on Sunday.

GEORGE Osborne yesterday said that he would allow the swingeing cuts planned by an incoming Conservative government to be delayed for a year in Scotland.

The Scottish Government's £30 billion budget for 2010/11 will be excluded from the round of cuts that the Conservatives will impose on the rest of the UK if they win the election.

This week the shadow chancellor is expected to identify areas whe

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re draconian savings will be made in the emergency budget that a Conservative government has pledged within 50 days of coming to power.

In the first concession of its type to be given by the Treasury to Scotland, the shadow chancellor said he was prepared to postpone the cuts in Scotland for a year out of "respect" for the Holyrood budget.

Osborne warned, however, that in the long run Scotland would still have to bear its share of the pain, raising the prospect of savage cuts to the public sector after the 2011 Scottish election.

Although the Scottish Government will be given the option of sticking to its original budget for 2010/11, the savings would eventually have to be found the following financial year in 2011/12.

Ok, so the pain might be delayed, however if the cuts go well, it might be lessened the following years as the economy recovers and government income increases. Meanwhile the majority as ever seem to be getting mugged by the Tories to support their pretensions of being a unionist party north of the border. This is a purely electioneering ploy to try and increase Tory seats in Scotland and it is the English who will mostly have to make up the loss in income as the bills will still have to be paid for the next financial year even if the following year some gets paid back.
Now to me the union was always about the 4 nations being treat equally, however since devolution it's becoming increasingly obvious that the main parties in the UK parliament are prepared to cater to the minority over the needs of the majority as a sop to have an edge when it comes to close votes. That's why in England we have university fees and trust hospitals despite the majority of English MP's voting against them.
It's time this was resolved either by setting up an English parliament with a UK grand committee and using the lords as a second chamber for all. Or we dissolve this clearly unequal union and we all go our separate ways. Scotland can keep its oil and whiskey and stay in thrall to the EU, the English can and will leave the EU and make our own way in the world as a trading nation rather than having our destiny stifled by the EU trade cartel.
Option 2 for me seems best, it might be difficult times for us if we do, but at least we'll finally be back in control of our own country doing what's best for us and not everyone else.