Britannist

The Scotsman newspaper reports today that the europhile BBC – just three months after a Scottish MP became UK Prime Minister – has announced that it is to “triple BBC Scotland’s output for the UK-wide audience” (at a cost of up to £90 million a year). The Scotsman pointed out “Mr .Thompson (BBC Director-General) made the pledge as Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, officially opened BBC Scotland's new £188 million headquarters at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.”

There is a BBC Scotland (with a second service in Gaelic planned), two BBC Wales (one in English and one in Welsh), a BBC Northern Ireland and a BBC Asian service. But there is no BBC England and the BBC ignores St. George’s Day (the national day of England).

While the pro-EU BBC was busy making plans to boost BBC Scotland, ITV (of which Scottish and Grampian independent television is not a part) said two weeks ago that it was to get rid of some ITV regions and merge them into larger units to save money (Border Television covering the south of Scotland and northern most parts of England being one of those chosen by ITV bosses to disappear in its current form).

There’s more on the expansion of BBC Scotland at:

The Scotsman - Scotland - BBC boss signals more Scottish TV

cassie

The anti English, mostly so called 'minorities' have succeeded in diminishing England as a nation by compartmentalising as much as they can, thus denying the people of England anything like the same degree of democracy and self determination.

They peddle myths such as "Only the Scots should determine their future." as a device to keep the English silent.

The fact is that referenda are merely a means of acsertaining collective opinion and the executive and legislative action taken in the wake of referenda are taken, not by voters, but by government!

Another fact is that the status of Scotland and its five million people within the UK does affect the rest of the UK, especially the fifty million people in England!

Similarly, the creation and expansion of broadcasting facilities in Scotland, whether by the BBC or any other body, affects England! They, the Scots, are being provided with yet another means of propagating skewed information, without anything comparable in England, without any broadcaster being specifically English in a similar way.

For example, Menzies Campbell in his boring, mono speed, mono pitched sanctimonious Conference speech yesterday (20th Sep) referred to the situation of 'British' farmers and the 'NHS' but made absolutely no mention of the huge disparity of resources and treatment of English farmers and the England NHS compared with their counterparts in Scotland and Wales! Yet again the false impression was conveyed of us all - us Brits that is - being in the same boat.

The parliament in Scotland is being used in ways which far exceed the powers devolved to it. Any English concerns were assuaged with assurances that the Scots and Welsh would only be able to exercise only those powers devolved by the British Government. It is a fair bet that the enhanced BBC Scotland will be similarly abused!

It is not possible to turn the clock back, and surely it must be obvious to everyone, including UKIP, that England MUST have its own separate Parliament & Executive in which representatives from Scotland will not be allowed to meddle! Just look at the line up dealing with the current financial crisis: Gordon Brown (Prime Minister & First Lord of the Treasury - previous Chancellor of the Exchequer), Alistair Darling (Chancellor of the Exchequer), John McFall (Chairman of the Commons Treasury Committee) and Sir Angus McCallum (Head of the FSA) - all Scots! Coincidental? I think not! [All this against a background of Scots in other prominent positions, such as Sam Younger, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons and ex officio Chairman of the Boundary Commission etc etc.]

When UKIP adopts a sensible and fair policy for the 84% of voters in England, I'll apply enthusiatically for membership.

In the meantime, surely it is only common sense, fair and democratic for voters in England to be participants in any future referenda affecting any part of the UK, and not be expected to stand by whilst 8.3% of the UK expresses solely its opinion about the future shape of the UK?

How can it be appropriate for 3.9 million voters in Scotland to be permitted a say when the other 91.7% is required to remain silent? Some democracy that!

Yes, a majority of the thirty eight million voters in England might express a view that the UK should be dissolved, but then. so might a majority of the four million voters in Scotland! What is the difference, apart from the staggeringly huge unfairness of it all!

Therefore, UKIP might put itself behind the cause of democracy (rather than 'democratic expediency') for once and campaign for referenda in England for all issues which affect it, and not just continued EU membership and adoption of the EU Treay/Constitution (whatever it is called!)

A policy of a separate Parliament for England plus a campaign for UK-wide referenda would provide a firm launch pad to oppose the kind of unjustified actions taken to unduly prefer Scotland and its people under a British prime minister, who is a Scot pledged to make Scotland's interests 'paramount'! (The insolent indignity of it all!)

ANGLO-STAFFS

I doubt if we will ever get any of the serious political parties to push for a free England. I think the best way forward is, however distasteful, promote the independence parties in the other countries. That way we may get a Free England. But we will have to watch how much of the family silver they pocket.