The toothpaste won't go back in the tube........

One of Tony Blair's legacies has been the partial dismantlement of the Westminster Parliament's powers. Scotland first, followed by devolution for Wales which differed in scope from that for Scotland.  Over the years there has been devolution and direct rule from Westminster for Northern Ireland, or Ulster if you so prefer.

Devolution for Scotland raised the 'West Lothian Question'

The one major gap in the devolution process has been the failure to devolve power to an English Parliament.  So we have the strange position that Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish MPs can, and do, vote on matters which are purely about England (NHS reform is one example), yet these self-same MPs cannot vote on matters in their own countries. Not only is it illogical, it is inequitable.

Once power has been devolved it is impossible to take it back. Indeed, once it has been granted the likelihood is that there will be demands for even more devolved powers (as has happened) and eventually the demand for independence, either within or without a federal structure.

I support the concept of the four nations within a federal structure, although I am not entirely convinced as to the powers that should be held by a federal government.  The USA model of the division of powers has attractions although it is unlikely to be acceptable in the United Kingdom as Scotland, as an example, would wish to have fiscal independence if my understanding of the SNP's statements is accurate.

The Campaign for an English Parliament (CEP) is the leading pressure group in England.  The major political parties all favour retention of the Union and have set their faces against devolution, never mind independence, for England.

Whilst there are strong nationalist parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the same cannot be said of England. There is a multiplicity of very small parties.  The largest is the English Democrats (ED), but, apart from winning the Mayor of Doncaster election, have very few councillors and those they do have are at the third tier level - town/parish councils.

Why is it that English nationalism is not embraced as it has been in Scotland and Wales? 

I shall consider this in my next post.