Thirty Years Ago

In reply to an earlier post on the Lib Dems, Martin Miller (who should blog, by the way) comments:

Liberal MPs Jo Grimond (Orkney and Shetland), Russell Johnston (with a Highland seat) and David Steel (with a Borders seat) voted against devolution in the 70s. They said that exactly this sort of neglect would happen. Steel could do with being reminded of this.

Grimond also secured opt-outs for Orkney and Shetland if they voted No in the referendum. Shetland's constitutional and cultural relationship with Scotland is complicated. But Orkney's isn't.

So the principle has already been established. If there were to be an independence referendum in Scotland, then, as you have suggested in the past, areas voting No should remain in the United Kingdom. This was pretty much agreed thirty years ago.

Quite so. For this, I can even forgive Martin for using the words "thirty years ago" so close to my milestone birthday this coming Sunday!