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The thread is interesting, although I must say that past governments are run through the lense of party politics. People in charge have this lense and are elected into power and will exercise the power that way. It's not something you can take on and off. /1 https://twitter.com/Sime0nStylites/status/1353224774596616192
However, usually those people are forced to integrate other people with other lenses which ends up in compromises they and other don't like - but they make the government decisions and the legal framework overall tolerable for the most. /2
If you govern unrestricted and do what you think is best, chance is the majority will absolutely hate it in the majority of times (in particular in projects with major impact). Looking for consent usually ends up in the least resented option. /3
Which brings us to the gist of the matter, the lack of consent in UK's system polarises. I would go so far and say, it deincentivises any kind of consent seeking. /4
You may know say, that it always worked like that and why shouldn't it work now: For one, UK is still a young democracy (roughly 100 years old). And the events at the beginning WW1 and WW2 forged a unifying experience als creating a common identity. /5
Why is this relevant? Well, if you broadly share a similar identity, chance is that the political decisions made will be broadly compatible with those identities and values who are at core of those identities. /6
So even if they are divisive, there is still a common bond which goes through the both sides of the argument. They just have a different angle of it but they are at least broadly acceptable for most people. It's a buffer. /7
That creates a situation where it makes sense to talk about a gentleman's agreement to adhere to loosely defined norms making up the British constitution. Because both sides understanding of what to do and what not is not vastly different. /8
But since the 60s and 70s, the British society is changing, as societies in Western Europe or North America. They are more fragmented with different lifestyles and values. That's by the way less about immigration. /9
Factors like education (academics become more common), tech advances (internet, transportation), econo progress & even medical developments play a role. The fact that we've in those place very old societies (b/c people don't die anymore of young age) is one of the features. /10
This is linked by the way to the excellent @redhistorian's commentary on why the current gov practices constitutional 'vandalism'. They just don't see or are incapable that it is vandalism or illegitimate. /11
To link it back w/ the original post: UK is in this situation because policy & political decisions have been made which are from a lot of perspectives not acceptable. They have not been made tolerable to others given that the gov didn't feel the need to incl stakeholders. /12
And they didn't because there is nothing in UK's political system which tells them to but plenty which tells them not to include them. That's the gist of the matter behind these polls. 
/13 https://twitter.com/thesundaytimes/status/1353044013776035840?s=19
/13 https://twitter.com/thesundaytimes/status/1353044013776035840?s=19
And this also explains why the reaction of the government to come up with blunder on a war against the woke was to be expected as it is to be expected that this will fail. /14 https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1353110777608237057?s=19
/14 https://twitter.com/drjennings/status/1353110777608237057?s=19
However, it's fair to say not everybody in government may think that way. But it's probably accurate to say that a) large parts of their supporting milieus do and b) large parts of the parliamentary party are sympathetic to it. Although they may wonder whether that's enough. /15
In this moment we come back to the topic of legitimate action: Is it enough if HMG refuses to consent against a SCO referendum? I don't think so, may may delay for a bit but could also escalate things and make things worse in medium and long term. /17 https://twitter.com/s13GES/status/1353079910965895174?s=19
/17 https://twitter.com/s13GES/status/1353079910965895174?s=19
Another of those mad strands is the currently emerging neo-Unionism who is raging against devolution as such and proclaims that the only way forward is going back to the central state arrangements (or at least moving devolved arrangement closer to it, so cutting them back). /18
That'd almost certainly make things worse & will feed further mistrust not just among SNP grandees and party members but also voters. You want more control? As long as you don't grow up (and do what we think is good) we'll give you less! I don't think it is a clever response. /19
And this will ultimately help to radicalise and polarise any debates or solutions pursued by those stakeholders. Which leads us to the last point: If you want to be able to prevent that, you either need a political system reintegrating those stakeholders. /20
That means you need to seek reforms giving them power (devolvement but also power sharing) and forcing them to ownership to all relevant questions. But this would also beg the question whether those solutions are acceptable for 'the rest'. /21 https://twitter.com/APHClarkson/status/1353268694923796481?s=19
/21 https://twitter.com/APHClarkson/status/1353268694923796481?s=19
That requires recognition there is indeed a problem of lacking consent & the will to create structures which create it - but those'd equally constraint your own power too. I don't see that this has been clocked nor do I see that there'll be the will to adequately response. /22
It would be also a matter of time by the way, at one point any reform will be fruitless either because there is no common ground anymore or you are just not trusted anymore to be ale to get those solutions sustainably set up. /23
The last option is sheer force: Having the state capacity to react against rogue parts of the society. Usually people advocating this bit at the last resort refer to success by Spain against the Catalan crisis. /24
This oversee two things: Unionists're so far unable to mass mobilise in a similar fashion as in Catalan - but Nationalists actually do. Also, there's no national police force which will weaken any forceful ad hoc response. It's not an option, UK's state capacity is limited. 25/25
