Carpetbaggers or pioneers?
PragueTory and I were mulling on the high number of English born folk living in Scotland, and we were moved to ponder on how many English born MPs sat for Scotland. We discovered five out of 56, including an SNP MP who hails from Wimbledon, one Scouser, one Northerner and two other Londoners. Plus Sarwar, who was born in Pakistan.
Since I need to get out more, I decided to have a look at the situation in these parts and took on London: out of 70 MPs I can offer - by birth - seven Scots, two Welsh, two Northern Irish, two Germans, one Egyptian (hello Margaret Hodge), one Swede, one Hollander, one American and one Indian. Beyond that, there are six MPs from the Midlands and 12 Northerners of various stripes. There are a further four from the SE or the West and four who have kept their place of birth well away from the public gaze, so if anyone can help out on the origins of the members for Ruislip, Islington South, Ealing North and Hackney South, I would be much obliged. Unambiguously London born MPs make up 26 of the 70, so on a like for like basis, 91% of Scottish seats have Scottish MPs, whereas only 37% of London seats have London MPs.
So, does this make Scotland desperately parochial, or London breathtakingly cosmopolitan? Or is it that the Scots are unwilling to have 'foreigners' foisted on them while London types would vote for a anyone with the right coloured rosette? It is worth noting that in any number of countries an outsider does not have a prayer of getting elected, with the US of A very much Exhibit A. As I have noted before, in an ideal world the best candidate would also happen to have been born in the constituency, but talent is not evenly spread.
Of the prospective candidates I have chewed the fat with, they are targetting seats where they have a distinct connection via work, residence or birth.
PT has further thoughts, plus he has cast an eye over his old neck of the woods, the West Midlands.
Since I need to get out more, I decided to have a look at the situation in these parts and took on London: out of 70 MPs I can offer - by birth - seven Scots, two Welsh, two Northern Irish, two Germans, one Egyptian (hello Margaret Hodge), one Swede, one Hollander, one American and one Indian. Beyond that, there are six MPs from the Midlands and 12 Northerners of various stripes. There are a further four from the SE or the West and four who have kept their place of birth well away from the public gaze, so if anyone can help out on the origins of the members for Ruislip, Islington South, Ealing North and Hackney South, I would be much obliged. Unambiguously London born MPs make up 26 of the 70, so on a like for like basis, 91% of Scottish seats have Scottish MPs, whereas only 37% of London seats have London MPs.
So, does this make Scotland desperately parochial, or London breathtakingly cosmopolitan? Or is it that the Scots are unwilling to have 'foreigners' foisted on them while London types would vote for a anyone with the right coloured rosette? It is worth noting that in any number of countries an outsider does not have a prayer of getting elected, with the US of A very much Exhibit A. As I have noted before, in an ideal world the best candidate would also happen to have been born in the constituency, but talent is not evenly spread.
Of the prospective candidates I have chewed the fat with, they are targetting seats where they have a distinct connection via work, residence or birth.
PT has further thoughts, plus he has cast an eye over his old neck of the woods, the West Midlands.
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on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 4:56 pm.
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London is a foreign country it doesn't stand comparison with any other part of the UK
Going of on a complete tangent (as I am always keen to do)I found it rather amusing that every single mess shop in NI border forts were always run by some chap called Patel rather than a local, the reason?
Any local would have been executed for being a "tout", same for a Brit or any other soul from these Isles.
PH - Yes, there is that, but I was rather hoping folks from outside London might want to take on Wales, the West etc etc. PT has found only four natives out of 11 representing seats in Brum.
London is a smorgesbourg of tasty treats . Oxford ….just to pick somewhere provincial at random , retains population levels chiefly by inbreeding . We are an elite , we are filtered through a Darwinian process until only the best are left . That’s us Londoners. Little boy your man little man you’re a king
I imagine what crafty little PT is up to is to show how racists parochial and inward looking Scotland is and how elect orally as well as constitutionally and in ever other way we are the big generous teat the Pictish hoard suck upon with their nasty throaty sucking noises Is this not the point ? You can’t stand in Scotland as an Englishman . Problem for Mac Broon of the Tribe MacBroon native o`er the aild broon Glen I think. Or have I missed the point ?
Sorry can`t help you with your grand project C
The point I was rather unsuccessfully trying to make about NI is that this country is full of suprising little pockets of different kinds of people,usualy concentrated in certain areas, London mostly being... oh fuck im tired and cant be bothered .
The Scots are indeed rascists , I wish they would just fick off , give them whats left of the oil.
Ah, could this be a Newmanian adaptation of the surf nazi ideology we were discussing the other day?
I think you should credit PT with more subtlety.
You were talking about it C. I was busy coming down with Flu and snorting with derision . I see no reason whatsoever to suspect PT of subtlety. He`s like a adorable puppy always yipping and yapping and wagging his tail.
I `m not tired PHITCH allow me " London mostly being an envied elite of gorgeous aesthetes exchanging Persians and silk hankies at the RA “ .. well that my life any way . No stamina some people , I wouldn’t want to be PHITCHES girlfriend . Ahem well obviously , but even if I was a girl .
I expounded the basic idea, and you were showing signs of sentience.
Erm, would that be cats, or people?
In the words of Basil Fawlty "I'm just trying to enjoy myself". I'll let you guys make the deeper points.
Sentience refers to possession of sensory organs, the ability to feel or perceive
Well I `m enormously grateful that you delicate antennae detected some signs of sentience C ? Looks like I may be allowed out of the laboratory to feast on the local villagers any time now .”Persians “ I was thinking of Reginald .
Could it possibly be that PT was being sarcarrstik . I believe that’s when you say something and mean almost the opposite . They do that sort of thing in the midlands you know , its like the Versailles of the Sun King up there with them and their fancy ways . When I flash past over the spaghetti junction on the way to the pretty bits I `m always going to fast to check . Next time I `ll wind the window down and scream “nice place “ into the wind .Just to join in with the Sarrchasum.I wonder if I `ll glimpse a big floppy hat being doffed?
"newmania"
Admit it you are having a bad acid trip aren't you
I smell an impostor
No its me...small humble voice. I `m at home and therforehappy. It won`t happen again
I'm sure you've read the ridiculous crap about a voluntary code for blogs. Join the voluntary code free zone by placing one of these logos on your site here
There is only one Newmania. I don't think anyone could fake him.
D&B - I might very well do that thing.
The SNP also currently have 7 English MSPs in the Scottish Parliament:-
1 Mike Russell
2 Christine Grahame
3 Stuart McMillan
4 Ian Mckee
5 Shona Robison
6 Nigel Don
7 Fiona Hyslop
I don't think you can realistically argue any English racism on their part - they argue that England should have self determination if they want it too.
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