Britannist

arden forester

Many moons ago Prince Philip went to Cardiff and told an audience about the need for further education. "What we need is brains", he said, to howls of laughter. The poor man was taken aback at the response, until an aide whispered to him that Brains was the name of the local brewery!

SA Brain & Co. Ltd - Wales' leading drinks and hospitality company

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www.ardenforester.blogspot.com
www.westminster-whispers.blogspot.com

Alex McKee

Yes, Monmouthshire is like a number of other places - Berwick upon Tweed, The Scilly Isles etc. that did their own things, managed their own affairs even including declaration of war, etc.

The history of Great Britain is never as clear cut as people make it out to be.

cassie

Nothing funnier than unconscious humour!

Englander 1

You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "Allow the people
who
live in Monmouthshire a referendum to determine whether they wish for
their
historic English county to be reunited with England or to remain in
Wales."

The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can
view
it here:

monmouthshire - epetition response

Read the Government's response...The Government currently has no plans to move the boundary between England and Wales.

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"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

Independent UKIP

It got 203 signatures. Even if you were to argue that most of those were from Monmouthshire (some including the petition creator patently are not) it is not much of an endorsement from them for the question so I think the response of the government is appropriate in the circumstances.

Englander 1

Mr Indy Ukipy Man....you seem a white flag waver to me...thankfully we have members of more substance fighting the English cause.

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"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

Independent UKIP

The vote in the Assembly Elections and this petition suggests to me that the people of Monmouthshire are content to stay with Wales. Because of that I do not have reason to support the referendum. Unless the English Democrats are willing to fully finance it in which case I have no objection to it. Perhaps that makes me an English traitor rather than a white flag waver.

Britannist

Notice the word "currently" (above quote):

"The Government CURRENTLY has no plans to move the boundary between England and Wales."

Of course, those campaigning for Monmouthshire to be brought back into England (it was put into Wales by the europhile Heath regime without even a referendum or Green/White Paper in the House of Commons) are not asking for the boundary between England and Wales to be moved as such. What the campaigners want is for the boundary between Monmouthshire/lEngland and Glamorgan/Wales to be restored and for the Welsh/English border in that area to be "put back to its correct place as it was before the 1972 Local Government Act came into effect in 1974 - when (before 1974) Monmouthshire/Chepstow and Newport were in England."

cassie

Independent UKIP's point about the number of signatures on the petition is a valid point ~ for what it is worth. However, I do not think that this question should depend solely upon such considerations. If it did, UKIP might just as well pack up and go home! Neither do I acccept that Independent UKIP is entitled to devise rules solely for a referendum on this issue . . . in other contexts it would be rightly described as discrimination! Of course as it involves England, that's alright then!

It seems that there are always individuals willing to compromise principles, especially in respect of England or anyting English. Either one truly believes in democracy, consultation with voters when feasible and desirable, real accountability etc etc or one does not!

Unsurprisingly perhaps, I am sympathetic to Britannist's approach, but even here I would emphasise that the aim of the EDP's much misrepresented "Letting Monmouthshire Decide!" Campaign was to obtain a referendum of voters in the territory affected.

Turning to those who always seems to want to go back centuries in vain attempts to justify weak positions, I would share some information which has been supplied to me.

Surely no one needs to be reminded that this was enacted during Henry VIII's reign, and that he was the son of Henry VII a born Welshman! Therefore, he may be held to have been both the King of England and of the "Principalitie and Countrie of Wales" and, according with 16th Century legal precepts, lawfully able to organise his territories as set out.

Frankly, I get tired of the nit picking by proponents of both Scottish and Welsh claims which are not only invalid today ~ especially in what is (inaccurately) held to be a democracy ~ but also centuries ago when subjected to scrutiny. It amounts to persistent discrimination against England and the English by those who so readily have unjustly levelled such accusations at us, the English!

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