Does David Cameron have a mandate to rule Scotland from 4th place?

[JennyPiccolo]

this has come up a few times on the election coverage today. A bit of a travesty for democracy, no?

about as much a mandate as GB (3rd place) in England

Go figure

Riven: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lothian_question

Riven - MPs represent Scotland in Westminster on issues that aren't devolved - defence for example. MSPs are the scottish elected politicians who vote on Scottish issues

Funnily enough, I have a feeling Wales has a similar set up but it doesn't upset people as much

It is a bit of a mess

I don't think it is the same in Wales, is it?

Did Tony Blair have a mandate to rule England in 2005 while getting fewer votes than the Conservatives in England?

You could apply the same argument to anywhere...

Isn't it funny there is this thread asking if the English PM should rule Scotland while there is another thread asking if Scotland should be made independent so the Tory party would have a proper majority in England.

I'm tempted to say 'go on then' if you dare. Honestly its like my two DSs arguing over a cheap plastic toy neither of them actually wants.

that attitude is whats up with democracy. God forbid we should discuss anything, how petty. If we can't be trusted all to vote for the same guy, goodness! Someone else will just have to decide for us.

Whoever can come up with a coalition with a majority has a mandate to rule the UK - that's just the way it works. There's no point whinging about the Conservatives ruling Scotland or about the Scottish Labour MPs having ruled England for the past however-many years.

I'd like England to have it's own Parliament/Assembly then we could separate out the issues which can be done separately, and leave Westminster to deal with UK-wide matters - maybe that would lead to less bad feeling.

I'm pretty sure it is a similar set up in Wales as what Scotland have. Can any Welsh people answer this for me?

That is what I think/hope would happen. Indeed, on TV thos afternoon it wa ssuggested that Con-Lib coalition would target cuts on Scotland and North of England because it did not vote Tory or Lib Dem. Bound to cause even more resentment as English MPs impose swingeing cuts on Scottsh, Welsh NI people. That would be a lot like the Greek people feel now with Germany effectiveley imposing auterity measures on them.

Seems to me that a move to more local democracy with more power in the Scottish, Welsh, NI assemblies with a new English assembly would work well.

Yes, he does - but he has to work harder than he otherwise might to prove that he is genuinely a one-nation Tory.