Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey Collier
Cassie: A proper constitutional settlement, and one which is equable, would be to England's disadvantage. The combined number of seats in the Commons for the English constituencies, ensures that the will of England prevails in matters of foreign policy, military policy and economic policy. Will you be giving the Scots and Welsh dominion over these matters? Presumably some separate arrangement can be found for N.I.
The Scots and Welsh may be economically favoured by the Exchequer, although that is disputed, but England gains the lion's share of benefit from the Union of the UK.
Population imbalance between the three kingdoms, and separate constituencies as the basis for Parliamentary representation ensure positive advantage in England's favour.
At the present time Scottish, Welsh, and NI regiments are serving the Crown abroad in various theatres of conflict. Their contribution to the military, is quite disproportionate to their respective population sizes.
We need to be more generous in these matters; generous of spirit and more inclined to accept some disadvantage from time to time, from final decisions. The E.D's are merely producing a regionalist mentality beneficial to Brussels. Only the immature, greedy and politically illiterate suburbanites, could devise such a political grouping. The independence for the whole of the UK suppose is our aim; the historic constitution
is what we proclaim.
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Allow me to declare my interest. I am English. I was born in England, grew up in England and have lived in England all my life. Many of those who presume to prescribe what is best for England [they usually mean better for Scotland and Wales!] are not English and omit to say so.
The voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have all been afforded a number of referenda in which they were invited to record collective opinions on whether they wished to have powers devolved to them. As a consequence, 15% of the UK's peoples have three parliaments between them.
In marked contrast, the 85% of the UK's citizens in England have not been asked
once whether we as a nation would also wish to have powers devolved to England. Instead, we have had a hotch potch of regional assemblies inflicted upon us.
I find it quite remarkable that anyone English should find every excuse under the sun to avoid according parity of treatment to the English! I find it unacceptable that new and different criteria not operated in 1997 are now invoked to prevent England as a nation being treated the same as Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland.
Are we not supposed to be a democracy? Is it too much to ask for voters in England to be given opportunity to record our collective opinions about these matters?
One last point: I proposed a
separate English Parliament, NOT a
separate England. However, continued opposition to treating England fairly may itself bring about the very thing which the opposers say they wish to avoid: the dissolution of the UK!
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