Ex-Foreign Secretary proposes that an English Grand Committee be set up in Commons

Britannist · 03-10-2007, 11:21 PM

Former Edinburgh Pentlands MP, Sir Malcolm Rifkind (who was Foreign Secretary in the Major Government) has proposed that an English Grand Committee be set up in the House of Commons:

The Herald : Politics: MAIN POLITICS

Little Englander (sour) · 03-10-2007, 11:28 PM

What a good idea and it balances the relationship within the UK:
Scotland - Parliament (heading for independence)
Wales - Assembly (soon to get wider powers)
N.Ireland - Assembly (heading for reunification)
England - a freaking Committee.
I can hardly wait.

Britannist · 04-10-2007, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Englander (sour)

Scotland - Parliament (heading for independence). N.Ireland - Assembly (heading for reunification)

Little Englander (sour), could I just point out that:

Scotland is "not heading for independence" (support for the idea of Scotland leaving the UK is down according to an opinion poll carried out since the Scottish Parliamentary elections earlier this year).

Northern Ireland is not "heading for reunification" with anywhere outside the UK.

rjt · 04-10-2007, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

Little Englander (sour), could I just point out that:

Scotland is "not heading for independence" (support for the idea of Scotland leaving the UK is down according to an opinion poll carried out since the Scottish Parliamentary elections earlier this year).

Northern Ireland is not "heading for reunification" with anywhere outside the UK.

Indeed that is a far more balanced assesment of the situation, there reamins a clear majority of unionist MSPS in the Scots Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. By agreeing to The Good Friday Agreement the IRA have agreed to conitnue what they termed partition. I would aslo point out that a Unionist Party won the recent elections there.

arden forester · 04-10-2007, 12:06 PM

This idea of a Grand Committee is a non-starter. It will still perpetuate the part-time MPs from the other three nations of the UK. Currently the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Northern Ireland both sit in the House of Commons free to vote on English matters. Apart from the inherent wrong it brings to the Constitution, how have they the time to do both?

rjt is correct. It is now very unlikely that partition of Ireland will end. In fact it suits the Irish. They can hedge their bets (literally) with prices since the republic has the Euro. The South never really took to Sinn Fein/IRA, so Gerry Adams and Martin Maguinness put on their suits and decided to adopt democratic politics. Now they have some power, plenty of influence and no egg on their faces. They can go back to talking about a united Ireland, but the only unity will be in rugby and rain!

Englander 1 · 05-10-2007, 05:47 PM

Well said that man!

Independence Now! · 06-10-2007, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arden forester

This idea of a Grand Committee is a non-starter. It will still perpetuate the part-time MPs from the other three nations of the UK. Currently the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Northern Ireland both sit in the House of Commons free to vote on English matters. Apart from the inherent wrong it brings to the Constitution, how have they the time to do both?

rjt is correct. It is now very unlikely that partition of Ireland will end. In fact it suits the Irish. They can hedge their bets (literally) with prices since the republic has the Euro. The South never really took to Sinn Fein/IRA, so Gerry Adams and Martin Maguinness put on their suits and decided to adopt democratic politics. Now they have some power, plenty of influence and no egg on their faces. They can go back to talking about a united Ireland, but the only unity will be in rugby and rain!

And Cricket! They play as one team in that as well as Rugby Union.

03-10-2007, 11:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 22,896	Ex-Foreign Secretary proposes that an English Grand Committee be set up in Commons Former Edinburgh Pentlands MP, Sir Malcolm Rifkind (who was Foreign Secretary in the Major Government) has proposed that an English Grand Committee be set up in the House of Commons: The Herald : Politics: MAIN POLITICS

04-10-2007, 12:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
arden forester Uber Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Solihull, in The Forest of Arden, Warwickshire! Posts: 2,662 Party: None	A muddled mess This idea of a Grand Committee is a non-starter. It will still perpetuate the part-time MPs from the other three nations of the UK. Currently the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister of Northern Ireland both sit in the House of Commons free to vote on English matters. Apart from the inherent wrong it brings to the Constitution, how have they the time to do both? rjt is correct. It is now very unlikely that partition of Ireland will end. In fact it suits the Irish. They can hedge their bets (literally) with prices since the republic has the Euro. The South never really took to Sinn Fein/IRA, so Gerry Adams and Martin Maguinness put on their suits and decided to adopt democratic politics. Now they have some power, plenty of influence and no egg on their faces. They can go back to talking about a united Ireland, but the only unity will be in rugby and rain! __________________ www.ardenforester.blogspot.com www.westminster-whispers.blogspot.com

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03-10-2007, 11:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
Little Englander (sour) Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 949 Party: English Democrats	What a good idea and it balances the relationship within the UK: Scotland - Parliament (heading for independence) Wales - Assembly (soon to get wider powers) N.Ireland - Assembly (heading for reunification) England - a freaking Committee. I can hardly wait.

05-10-2007, 05:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Englander 1 Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WARWICKSHIRE Posts: 390 Party: English Democrats	Well said that man!