English Parliament/independence.

[Avon]

English Parliament Independent. YES FROM THE SCOTCH, WELSH & NI

[SDP]

English Parliament Independent. YES FROM THE SCOTCH, WELSH & NI

Avon

It is one of the core beliefs of the SDP that the United Kingdom should remain united.

The SDP want an English parliament established but within the UK.

[Plutonium]

Avon

It is one of the core beliefs of the SDP that the United Kingdom should remain united.

The SDP want an English parliament established but within the UK.

I understand the concern about the so-called West Lothian question, whereby MPs from the other nations can vote in Westminster on issues that only affect England, while the other national Parliaments decide these matters for their respective nations.

However, the idea of an English Parliament within a remaining United Kingdom needs to be thought through very carefully.

First, would this English Parliament simply be the Westminster Parliament shorn of its Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs and peers, or would it be an entirely separate body? What body would continue to exist, to legislate on all-UK matters?

Scotland, Wales and NI have their own executives, as well as parliaments/assemblies. Would England also have its own government?

The arrangement would essentially be a federation. How would the different nations be represented in the federal Parliament? Traditionally, this is done by having two houses - a lower house with states represented in proportion to their population, and an upper house in which states have equal representation.

This would mean that in an upper house, England, with 80% of the UK's population, would have just 25% of the seats.

[Plutonium]

To the writer`s dying shame I wasted twelve years of my life actively promoting the anti E.U. cause in U.K.I.P. Why! I even designed the logo. How I wish now that I had copyrited it. Along with another decamped Social Democrat we came up with the current colour`s.
...
In 2008 I was skimming around on the net and came across a very tired looking SDP web site ( It has not changed much)

Peter, I've mentioned elsewhere that I think the SDP website looks very dated. Perhaps you should offer the party your proven design skills to create a more up-to-date logo and website?

[SDP]

Peter, I've mentioned elsewhere that I think the SDP website looks very dated. Perhaps you should offer the party your proven design skills to create a more up-to-date logo and website?

Plutonium

Have you looked at out new website that has been discussed on anothere tthread in this section ?

[Plutonium]

Plutonium

Have you looked at out new website that has been discussed on anothere tthread in this section ?

Yes. Might I direct your attention to this post.

[Red Zed]

The SDP is a party that supports the working class. The SDP believes in socialism. Socialism is a system of government that aims to help the working class.

This distinguishes the SDP from UKIP. None of the leaflets that UKIP produce ever talk about helping the working class. UKIP also steer clear of the subject of unemployment. UKIP are careful never to make promises about tackling unemployment. UKIP certainly do not have the ambition to return to full employment.

If you want to know the essential difference between the SDP and UKIP, it is the SDP's support for the working class and its aim to get back towards full employment.

If you want to get back to full employment you need to nationalise major industry and to and invest in manufacturing and the public sector to create jobs. Better to invest in a massive public works programme than laying people off. If you want to support the working class you need to support a living wage of £8 rising to £10 an hour. you need to support workers in their struggles in the workplace. The SDP sound like a eurosceptic wing of new Labour than genuine socialists.

[SDP]

If you want to get back to full employment you need to nationalise major industry and to and invest in manufacturing and the public sector to create jobs. Better to invest in a massive public works programme than laying people off. If you want to support the working class you need to support a living wage of £8 rising to £10 an hour. you need to support workers in their struggles in the workplace. The SDP sound like a eurosceptic wing of new Labour than genuine socialists.

Red Zed

Where I agree with you is in relation to the motor industry. Every country needs a motor industry but the private sector cannot seem to make profits for car manufacture. Britain was quite happy to let the British owned car industry go bust. Compare that to the USA where they launched a massive bailout for General Motors. It seems to me that car manufacturing will aways need suppport from the government. Some people would call that socialism.

[SDP]

I understand the concern about the so-called West Lothian question, whereby MPs from the other nations can vote in Westminster on issues that only affect England, while the other national Parliaments decide these matters for their respective nations.

However, the idea of an English Parliament within a remaining United Kingdom needs to be thought through very carefully.

First, would this English Parliament simply be the Westminster Parliament shorn of its Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs and peers, or would it be an entirely separate body? What body would continue to exist, to legislate on all-UK matters?

Scotland, Wales and NI have their own executives, as well as parliaments/assemblies. Would England also have its own government?

The arrangement would essentially be a federation. How would the different nations be represented in the federal Parliament? Traditionally, this is done by having two houses - a lower house with states represented in proportion to their population, and an upper house in which states have equal representation.

This would mean that in an upper house, England, with 80% of the UK's population, would have just 25% of the seats.

There are many different ways to set up and English parliament. The SDP believe in the principle of having and English parliament. The SDP equally believe that the UK should remain united. So the setting up of the English parliament should be done within be within United Kingdom. This is required to deal with the West Lothian question.