Good question

Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked:

Her Majesty's Government whether, in the interests of fairness and equality, all the nations of the United Kingdom should be asked, through simultaneous referendums, whether they wish to secede from the Union.

And why not? Perhaps we should all be asked whether we want other parts to secede. After all, anything that affects the United Kingdom, affects us all, regardless of what the SNP or the EU wonks might say. The answer, as one would expect, was not very helpful though it did give the information eventually.

The Scottish National Party won an overall majority in the elections to the Scottish Parliament last year on a platform that promised a referendum on the future of Scotland's place in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament does not have the legal power to deliver a referendum on independence. It is for this reason that the Government have published a consultation document that will allow a legal, fair and decisive referendum to take place in Scotland. The Government have no plans to hold referendums elsewhere.

Until the Government thinks of some other preposterous idea it wants to fiddle with instead of getting on with whatever it was elected to do. Oh hang on, this government was not elected.