Sunday 6 March 2011

Little Englander?

One of the small political parties, the English Democrats, has as its main policy the setting up of an English Parliament.  Some might feel such a policy is unlikely to set the blood coursing through the veins of the English electorate and indeed the pitiful electoral record of the party bears testimony to this.  After all this is about some arcane constitutional issues, isn't it?  Or is it?

The recent referendum result in Wales on devolution has been welcomed by Nick Clegg.  "For the first time ever, laws that affect only Wales will be made only in Wales."

So now we have laws that affect only Scotland being made only in Scotland, likewise in Wales and also in Northern Ireland.

But what of England?  When will laws that affect only England be made only in England?  On this there is a deafening silence from Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Under the proposals to equalise the size of Westminster parliamentary constituencies it is planned that there will be 502 English constituencies and 98 from the rest of the UK.  As things stand these 98 MPs will continue to vote on laws that affect only England.. So, an MP from a Scottish constituency will be able to vote on an English health law but he won't be able to vote on a Scottish health law as that is the province of the Scottish Parliament.

There is a manifest inequity here.  Will Clegg do anything to remedy this?  Think I will see pigs fly first.

2 comments:

  1. The week where Scotland announce that they are scrapping prescription charges, the same month the government announces English prescription charges will go up.

    The month where labour and Lib Dems agreed to no tuition fees in Scotland for another 5 years, whilst charging English students up to £9,000 per year.

    The month the EMA grant is abolished in England but Scottish students will continue to be paid to study A levels.

    The month where it was confirmed that the money being used for the 'Big Society' will come from English bank accounts and loans only, but will be distributed to all the UK (Scotland, Wales, NI).

    The month David Cameron admits Wales gets more money per head than England.

    The month David Cameron admits spending cuts in England will be much larger (per head) than Wales and Scotland.

    The month that despite the above Nick Clegg is still saying that the funding formulas will not be looked at or changed.



    The British Government will never give us a English Parliament as they could not bleed us dry whilst giving handouts for votes in the rest of the UK.

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  2. The pigs have been flying round westminster for years.but their bacons gone off.

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