Comments on: Devolution for England

By: adrianpotts

adrianpotts — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:25:15 +0000

Unless you are in favour of the total break-up of the UK and possible civil war in Northern Ireland, this is one of the most dangerous proposals there is. If you want a portent of what the future would hold then just look at what happened to the old Soviet Union in 1990. The problem is that England IS too big to have its own parliament. It accounts for 85% of the UK population and 90% of the wealth and economic activity. An English PM would then have more power than the UK PM. The UK PM and the UK parliament would be seen as weak and irrelevant and would be undermined at every turn by the English government, just as Yeltsin undermined Gorbachev. The English parliament would demand an ever increasing say over foreign affairs because of its size and importance, thus alienating the Scots and Welsh. With the UK parliament weaker politically than the regions, break-up would be inevitable. Then with no United Kingdom to belong to, Northern Ireland has much less justification to be separate from the rest of Ireland.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:22:54 +0000

An English parliament really is an ill thought out idea. As Richard Corbett MEP rightly points out how is having a Govt of 60 Million devolved to over 40 Million going to make any difference at all to people’s lives in terms of brining Govt closer to the people and making it more accountable. If this were serious as a proposal it would be looking at regional assemblies which would be a real devolution of power. This though was totally rejected in the North East. perhaps thinking about empowering Local Govt far more strongly and brining in a proportional system of election for it (as in Scotland STV) would actually be a far more useful and progressive way of devolving power. Take the Sustainable Communities Act even further!!

By: Al Wilson

Al Wilson — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:35:18 +0000

Richard,

Swopping percentages, England may have 85pc of the UK’s population, but has only 56.1pc of the UK’s total of 943 politicians, since the devolved nations are doubly represented. The breakdown is:

Scotland 59 MPs and 129 MSPs = 188
Wales 40 MPs and 60 AMs = 100
Northern Ireland 18 MPs and 108 AMs = 126
Total 414 political representatives for the devolved countries = 43.9pc of UK politicians.
England has 529 MPs = 56.1pc.
(MEPs discounted).
———————-

I wonder if you would care to answer a question put by Andrew Neil to the late Gwyneth Dunwoody:

Can you name another democracy in the world [besides England] where a cabinet minister can introduce a piece of legislation that does not apply to his or her constituency?

By: Tommy Nobody

Tommy Nobody — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:31:03 +0000

Will this English hating UK government ever actually ask the English people what they want? Democratic referendums obviously don’t work unless the answer is what the politicians want. For example the Irish NO vote on the Lisburn Treaty, Pro Euro leaders and MEPs lined up to tell the Irish how wrong and stupid they were and that they didn’t know what they wanted. As for England under this Scottish EUK government I’m not holding my breath.
Afterthought… Richard Corbett MEP, what is the point of a blog where readers are not allowed to comment?

By: Richard Corbett MEP

Richard Corbett MEP — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:00:47 +0000

Devolution to England as a single entity is hardly de-dcentralisation, as 85% of the UK’s population lives in England. The “English” Parliament envisaged here would just be the House of Commons, minus, for certain votes, the Scottish, Welsh and N. Irish members, with all the complications that that implies.

By: Neil Murray

Neil Murray — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:24:00 +0000

I would like to see the House of Lords scrapped and its chamber used for an English parliament. Elections would be held under the same form of PR as we have in Scotland.

By: Jim Gash

Jim Gash — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:16:38 +0000

With England still in chains and under the control of the British Raj. Whats this Democracy you talk of?
Free England now with it’s own parliament. Now that would be Democracy.

By: David Wildgoose

David Wildgoose — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:48:00 +0000

The usual complaint we here is that “England is too big” for its own Parliament - which of course would imply that the even larger UK is definitely to big for its own Parliament - which illustrates just how stupid the complaint is.

An English Parliament could, by definition, only deal with English matters. Just like the Scottish Parliament can only deal with Scottish matters. The size of England is irrelevant.

The real reason for objecting to giving the people of England democratic equality with those in Scotland, etc., is that then Westminster MPs would be forced to choose between standing for an English Parliament and standing for a new federal UK Parliament. They just don’t want to upset their cosy little Westminter bubble, John Lewis list and all.

By: Scilla Cullen

Scilla Cullen — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:24:33 +0000

An English Parliament following dedicated elections so that MPs to an EP would not have divided loyalties would be able to decide for England how the interests of the people of England should be protected and promoted within the UK. It would be a forum for the protection and promotion of the unique English culture and heritage. It would roll back the usurpation of the achievements of Englands men and women as British achievements and bring clarity and transparency to the teaching of history in schools as properly English, not British, history.

By: IMarcher

IMarcher — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:48:05 +0000

Re the question ‘Which groups in the electorate are likely to support or oppose this measure?’ please remember that the relevant electorate is the English one. The referendum for the Scottish Parliament was conducted in Scotland only, despite the fact that it affected the rest of the UK, therefore the referendum for an English Parliament should be conducted in England only - and, for equality with Scotland - any question of its effect on the rest of the UK should not be part of the consideration.