I'm in the solid, Mr Straw in the italics...
Let us be clear. The United Kingdom – Great Britain and Northern Ireland – is a union which works to the equal benefit of all four nations of the union.
How can that be? England has no nationally representative bodies and is being broken up into "regions", despite the North East, the only area allowed a referendum, massively voting "NO" to that "proposal". Do you know Gordon Brown, John Prescott and Ruth Kelly, Mr Straw?
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But the other three nations have not done England a favour by joining the union. Historically, England called the shots to achieve a union because the union was seen as a way, amongst others things, of amplifying England’s power worldwide.
Hmmm... But Scotland wanted to expand outwards too, didn't it? It had already failed once. And according to the BBC's Scotland's Empire, the Scots were disproportionately active in the Empire. Scotland also retained much of its own civic identity post-Union, its law and education system, etc. Did England really "call the shots"? Surely England submerged itself in the Union most of all the UK nations? Why try to rewrite history and present England in an unfavourable light, Mr Straw?
And the reverse would certainly be true. A broken-up United Kingdom would not be in the interests of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but especially not England.
Why? England is currently allowed no official existence, we do not have equal representation, we live with the Barnett Formula, the West Lothian Question. The Union is being run for a racist elite. Everything works against the interests of the people of England.
Our voting power in the European Union would diminish.
Whose? England has no voting power as a nation in the European Union. It does not exist.
We’d slip down in the world league GDP tables. Our case for staying in the G8 would diminish and there could easily be an assault on our permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
Oh please, stop being silly.
No wonder that Philip Stephens of the Financial Times described Mr Cameron’s proposals as a “reckless preference for political gimmickry”. Reckless they are. Unworkable and irresponsible too.
There we agree. The only way to restore democracy to England is the establishment of an English Parliament.
Mr Straw certainly doesn't like England or the people of this country. Remember when he spouted off about how we'd subdued the other UK nations and what a "propensity for violence" we have? It's all here.
One or two other parts of the speech are illuminating. For instance, Mr Straw reveals himself as part of that self-loving 1960s youth elite - declaring it the decade which saw the start of the breakdown of the class system in this country. Weren't the origins of that actually in the social changes generated by two World Wars and felt even more greatly during the yuppie ("money, not breeding") revolution of the 1980s? Of course not!
Jack Straw believes that Scottish MPs should be able to foist laws onto England - and that Tony Blair is right to use them as lobby fodder.
Jack Straw believes that Scotland can produce laws discriminating against people from England who wish to study there.
Jack Straw believes that people in England should have lower standards of care and poorer public services - and have to pay for things that are free elsewhere.
Jack Straw is a self-serving traitor. Pure and simple. He values his career above the well-being of his constituents or the democratic rights of his fellow country people.
UPDATE...
Slyv from Salford...
Jack Straw may present as being mild mannered and self-effacing, but his mind is fast and devious and he has spent so much time with his head stuck up Tony Blair's arse he now has a permanently brown neck.
UPDATE...
Sue Campbell...
Jack Straw is a liar and twister of the first order. This is no surprise. He really is beneath contempt. Keep drawing the big, fat salary, Jack!
Drew and Debs
Re: Mr Jack Straw:
The looks of a bit-part actor from "Crossroads", the personality of a weasel and the political morals of an alley cat.
Yeurk!
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
