Quote:
Originally Posted by cassie
To be more precise: you want a referendum on whether England should separate from the rest of the UK!
Fair enough, but you must accept that others have a different approach to the matter of England's constitutional situation. Others believe that there is much greater support solely for a separate English Parliament and that associating the campaign for that with separation will impair the prospects for an English Parliament by increasing opposition which would otherwise not be there. You do not agree - fair enough. You did not remain with the EDP but joined the FEP - again fair enough.
Even so, whenever anyone dares to express the view that a separate English Parliament could be created within the framework of the UK, up you pop to press the dissolution point without ever seeming to accept that there really are other valid positions!
Reminds me of all those clerics who keep on asserting what God is or is not as though they are proven facts instead of what they actually are: beliefs!
To my mind, it IS possible to discuss the creation of a separate English Parliament leaving open the matter of whether it could be within or without the framework of the UK.
The insistence upon an English Parliament being solely in a separated England detracts from any discussion of the forms such a parliament might take, whether as part of the UK or separate. Consequently, we NEVER reach the point where consideration would be given to whether new forms of election or composition should be adopted. After all, the model used for the British Parliament is pretty ancient now, and we have examples of different features having been introduced in Scotland and Wales. Are 'top-up lists' or AV to be considered or rejected out of hand. Will Divisions be retained?
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You miss the point here and that is I would happily accept an English parliament within the UK if that was on offer, but unlike you, I would prefer to see that parliament have stronger powers. Why would you want to see an English parliament limited by the powers of a UK parliament? Do you think the English aren't capable of governing themselves in their entirety?
I sometimes wonder why so many people preach the doctrine of a federal UK yet despise the idea of a federal EU. Some of the principles are similar: allowing another government to retain control of a national parliament; the same currency; free movement of goods services and people; single market; the ability to allow non-elected people to impose laws.
Let's say for example, there was a federal UK and the UK government imposed a tax regime all over the UK that suited Scotland and Wales, but was detrimental to England, or allowed mass immigration, or took the UK into illegal wars, you would be the first up in arms about it, and an English parliament would have no say in any of these things whatsoever.