Gareth over at the CEP News Blog points us in the direction of various interesting discussions taking place about devolution across the web, and makes the following point:Far be it from me to gatecrash the party but surely the only question that needs to be asked is "What do the English want?" Any change in England's constitutional status within the Union should come about through consultation with the people (as it did in Scotland and Wales).
Exactly. The people of England need to be treated in exactly the same way as the people of Scotland, and offered the same options. That is of first importance.
Wales, which was offered a watered-down version of what Scotland now has, deserves nothing less.
THEN we discuss the role of the Union (if any). I'm not anti-Union, in fact I favour a federal UK with domestic parliaments for each nation and a vastly slimmed down UK government taking care of issues like defence. But I don't regard the Union as being essential to life or as more important than one of the UK nations (the country on the sacrificial slab is always England).
Some people on the web seem to cling to the Union like Linus to his security blanket. What is that about? The last vestiges of Imperial pride? Fear? A desire to perpetuate the plight of the people of England as democracy goes down the pan at the behest of a "UK" government?
It has me fogged.
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
