Frank Field: Labour needs to get in first to speak up for English voters

[Millennium3]

YOU MAY have noticed the Prime Minister is beginning to devote more of his time to the Scottish Question. He was up there recently wooing voters with a pledge that he would be prepared to concede even more powers to a Scottish Parliament.

Last Wednesday I asked the Prime Minister, given that he is now going to devote more time and thought to offering a ‘devolution plus’ package to Scotland, whether he would give equal time to the English Question.

Questions should be short and I could not make a speech on this issue. But I had time to draw attention to the growing grievance that voters in England feel now that powers have been devolved to Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Parliaments or Assemblies.

Devolution has been accompanied by two major discriminatory moves against England. The voters in each of these devolved countries or provinces have far more cash spent on them per head than do voters in England, and it is English voters who overwhelmingly pay all the bills.

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[president]

Don't forget part of the North sea that belongs to Scotland also funds the economy, even though it is in serious decline.

In the end, England being the heart of the UK, it is tricky to change the apparatus and style, image of this place. Hopefully the Scottish vote will make this a reality.

[alycidond9009]

Don't forget part of the North sea that belongs to Scotland also funds the economy, even though it is in serious decline.

In the end, England being the heart of the UK, it is tricky to change the apparatus and style, image of this place. Hopefully the Scottish vote will make this a reality.

The "part of the North sea that belongs to Scotland" is upto 12 miles if You mean teratorial waters, and there are not that many rigs less than 12 miles from the shore, so infact, there is hardly any, if any whatsoever oil that "belongs to Scotland".

[president]

If I remember correctly, the North sea the North east is shared with Norway in the path of Scotland. There is some amount of the cost of East England.

[alycidond9009]

If I remember correctly, the North sea the North east is shared with Norway in the path of Scotland. There is some amount of the cost of East England.

Nobody owns the North Sea more than 12 miles off shore, that's called "International Waters"

[Hartlepool]

I believe that Bliar moved the English/Scottish line North from their borders to a point passing through just south of Dundee. Thus placing another 6,000 sq miles of seaboard into English waters control.

As an aside, the scots dont have any oil, the UK owns it all on behalf of the citizens/ subjects.

[Hartlepool]

The link to my above post #6 is here a couple of paragraphs down the page. This info is not generally known nor discussed, but it should be as it clearly shows that Westminster has the upper hand as well as the lawfull right to set its borders and seaward boundaries. IT'S TRUE, THE ASSETS OF THE NATIONS OIL AND GAS BELONG TO THE WHOLE OF THE UK, NOT TO THE CANNY SCOTS AS THEY WOULD HAVE US ALL THINK. Link is sticky but a google will bring it up.
http://wwwoilofscotland.org/

[longbow64]

Well if it devolved that would put a stop to Labour winning every election, whilst I can't stand these wet lettuce Tories it would be a step in the right direction, at least the country wouldn't be bankrupted every 12-15 years by Lab so we could build our armed forces up.

We could also tackle the benefits system that pays way too many to spend a lifetime highly paid but sat on their arses, Lab keeps blocking these changes to preserve it's voters.

[cassie]

It is absurd that a nation of 5 million claims parity with another nation of 53 million!

If Scotland separates from the UK, all English jobs [in government, banking and insurance, for example] should be repatriated. Both Sainsbury and Tesco have their finance organisations in Scotland despite their customers being overwhelmingly in England.

Message to Scots: "Awa' wi yuh!"

[Hartlepool]

I agree with those points, cassie.