British Democracy Forum - View Single Post - What should be the priority for UKIP right now?

Geoffrey Collier · 03-06-2008, 04:32 PM

Cassie: You are going around in circles. I am not aware, personally, of any sense in which my national identity has been diminished. The things that are important to me still exist; peace, tolerance and generosity of spirit. They are equally important to most other people who comprise the UK. I want them to continue for generations yet unborn, by the maintenance of our own institutions and an independent United Kingdom.

The creation of the UK was, to no small extent, the result of wars and the need to have a central foreign policy. Scotland (1707). Were we concerned about possible European alliances posing a military threat to our northern borders? Yes. Do you feel that
the Irish Act of Union (1800), and the abolition of the Irish Parliament, was unrelated to our concern about Irish military alliances with Continental powers? Unified, and enjoying the full security of being an Island, was to be the reward for all. This security increased further after Trafalgar in 1805. We hadn't created Heaven on earth, but we had avoided the worst excesses of Hell.

You want a separate English Parliament and Executive, but on a dark night, that could be mistaken for independence. If, in fact, you are talking about an EP with limited powers, de-facto that already exists. If you want identical, 'privileges' to the Wales and Scotland, we could have them. Should this governemnt, or a subsequent one, want free prescriptions, education grants, etc, etc, there is no legislative impediment why that shouldn't be realised.

It is absurd to argue that the 'poor old English' are not having a fair crack of the whip.
Mineral extraction, oil, coal, gas, etc, are subject to the ownership and discretion of the Crown. In reality, that means the English dominated Parliament at Westminster. If your, Constitution Summit, fails and we go our separate ways, are those things going to be equally divided? Water could be another problem; the reservoirs of central Wales supply Birmingham and much of the Midlands.

Making a list of grievances against the Welsh, Scots and Irish, is not wise. It merely provokes them to do the same. People, in the main, are satisfied with agreements which are broadly fair: a feeling of justice, is healthier than an egalitarian equality won by fighting over the final crumb. It doesn't worry me in the slightest, if Scots get free educational grants, or the Welsh free prescriptions: all quite peripheral to the important things in life. Don't meddle with the Constitution, that is dangerous and should be your
major objection to the EU. For more than 250 years, mainland Britain has not known civil war, violent revolution or occupation. No other major world power can make a similar boast. The USA, China, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain: the list is endless. Do you see why sound constitutions and good political judgement is important?

03-06-2008, 04:32 PM	#30 (permalink)
Geoffrey Collier Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,182	Cassie: You are going around in circles. I am not aware, personally, of any sense in which my national identity has been diminished. The things that are important to me still exist; peace, tolerance and generosity of spirit. They are equally important to most other people who comprise the UK. I want them to continue for generations yet unborn, by the maintenance of our own institutions and an independent United Kingdom. The creation of the UK was, to no small extent, the result of wars and the need to have a central foreign policy. Scotland (1707). Were we concerned about possible European alliances posing a military threat to our northern borders? Yes. Do you feel that the Irish Act of Union (1800), and the abolition of the Irish Parliament, was unrelated to our concern about Irish military alliances with Continental powers? Unified, and enjoying the full security of being an Island, was to be the reward for all. This security increased further after Trafalgar in 1805. We hadn't created Heaven on earth, but we had avoided the worst excesses of Hell. You want a separate English Parliament and Executive, but on a dark night, that could be mistaken for independence. If, in fact, you are talking about an EP with limited powers, de-facto that already exists. If you want identical, 'privileges' to the Wales and Scotland, we could have them. Should this governemnt, or a subsequent one, want free prescriptions, education grants, etc, etc, there is no legislative impediment why that shouldn't be realised. It is absurd to argue that the 'poor old English' are not having a fair crack of the whip. Mineral extraction, oil, coal, gas, etc, are subject to the ownership and discretion of the Crown. In reality, that means the English dominated Parliament at Westminster. If your, Constitution Summit, fails and we go our separate ways, are those things going to be equally divided? Water could be another problem; the reservoirs of central Wales supply Birmingham and much of the Midlands. Making a list of grievances against the Welsh, Scots and Irish, is not wise. It merely provokes them to do the same. People, in the main, are satisfied with agreements which are broadly fair: a feeling of justice, is healthier than an egalitarian equality won by fighting over the final crumb. It doesn't worry me in the slightest, if Scots get free educational grants, or the Welsh free prescriptions: all quite peripheral to the important things in life. Don't meddle with the Constitution, that is dangerous and should be your major objection to the EU. For more than 250 years, mainland Britain has not known civil war, violent revolution or occupation. No other major world power can make a similar boast. The USA, China, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain: the list is endless. Do you see why sound constitutions and good political judgement is important?