CEP: 2000 Labour Party delegates to applaud the negation of the English Democratic Tradition

2000 labour party delegates got to their feet in Brighton in the county of Sussex to applaud the repudiation by Gordon Brown of the very fundamentals of England's democratic tradition.

Yesterday afternoon the delegates to the Labour Party Conference -Cabinet Ministers, MPs, Peers, Party officials and 2000 delegates from across the United Kingdom got up and clapped and shouted their approval as Gordon Brown, MP for Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath in Fifeshire in Scotland, announced measure after measure of new legislation for England, and only for England, in defiance of the very fundamentals of what the people of England founded their parliament for 800 years ago.

The CEP National Council has circulated its membership with a statement on this matter.

'Gordon Brown announced new legislation to place new teenage mothers in hostels rather than council houses; to provide free personal care for the very elderly in their homes, to limit pub opening hours, to control broken familes unable to control their children, to bring in additional controls on wild disruptive youngsters, to provide 250,000 free childcare places and to delay the introduction of ID cards. Very many people will indeed agree with these measures. That is not an issue that the CEP as such involves itself with. The CEP is concerned with democracy for England. When England gets its own parlament, its parliament will concern itself wholeheartedly with the welfare of the people of England.

'These measures concern matters which affect England only. The fundamental nature of English democracy as founded with the English Parliament in the 13th century and developed by the people of England over the past 800 years is that it is representative democracy. Law makers are accountable to the people who elect them. They are elected to be their representatives in their parliament. But Brown is not elected by any English voters. He is not accountable to any English voter for any of these specific measures. His action, and the conference applause for it, is a repudiation of this most fundamental aspect of the English democratic tradition.

Contact:

Michael Knowles

CEP Media Unit. Tel: 01260 271139

Email: michael-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

"I'm Being Picked On Because I'm A Woman," Says Sexist Person Jacqui Smith

Well this made us smile.

No, Jacqui, you're not being "picked on" because you're a woman.

You are being scrutinised because there are certain questions being asked about your integrity.

You are being heavily criticised because of your dictatorial nature, enforcing illegal measures like the DNA Database - on this blog we call you "Hitler In Knickers". The Hitler mentality, of course, is not gender specific.

Here you have been criticised because you are sexist - your recent speech to a women's group in which you stated that "violence against women and girls is unacceptable in any form" - inferring that violence towards men and boys is fine, was completely unacceptable. We grew up in an area where a lot of the women were very prone to initiating acts of violence.

This latest whine of yours reveals just how desperate you are. Are we supposed to say, "Ah, poor Jacqui, how un-chivalrous we've been?" Do you want the old fashioned pedestal chivalry as well as equality? You have a highly paid top government job. Your behaviour should be above reproach.

It doesn't wash. Equality means you take the brickbats as well as the bouquets, without screeching: "Oh, poor me, I'm a woman!" After all, you have a Women's Minister to look after you, and various initiatives we men could only dream of.

But then that's "equality".

You really are a scoundrel.

Adrian Sanders (Lib Dems) and Ken Purchase (Labour), Glib, Smart-Mouthed Hatred Of England

Marsha Singh has tabled an Early Day Motion to make St George's Day a public holiday.

Ken Purchase, Wolverhampton, Labour, and Adrian Sanders, (Torbay) Lib Dems, then leapt in with two daft amendments, which make plain their smug hatred of England.

These MPs are rotten to the pips. Health apartheid? Who gives a damn? The West Lothian Question? Ditto. The Barnett Formula? You guessed it. What the hell are their constituents doing electing these people who wilfully work against their best interests and pour scorn on their country?

Adrian Sanders is probably the most pathetic of the two (it's very close run) as he comes up with an alternative bank holiday to "benefit the UK tourist industry" - obviously unaware that Scotland and Wales are far better provided for, having retained their own tourist boards and representation through the "British" site whilst England, once again, is the poor relation.

When it comes to sneering, smug and out of touch people, not fulfilling the roles expected of them, Adrian Sanders and Ken Purchase are difficult to beat. But then I suspect that they are very typical indeed.

Toque has the whole story here - and remains far calmer and more eloquent than myself!

The Labour Party, The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democrats, The British National Party - Racists All

We all remember the referendum in the North East of England which voted 78% against regionalisation. Sadly, the rest of us weren't given a say and New Labour continued the break-up of England regardless. Gordon Brown's last act as Chancellor was to swipe £2bn from the English NHS:

From the Financial Times:

However, Mr Brown avoided equivalent cuts to the Scottish and Welsh NHS budgets even though the funding formula for the UK nations suggests they should have shared the pain. That decision leaves him open to criticism that he favoured patients in his home country

Gordon Brown's first act as Prime Minister without a mandate was to create regional ministers in England, and now regional select committees. But those given a say in the North East said a resounding NO to regionalisation. That doesn't matter. The people of England are not allowed to live in a democracy.

Now, the Lib Dumbs are screeching over Labour "unfairness" in the composition of the new Regional Select Committees. Note, NOT over the fact that the people of England don't WANT regions. The Lib Dumbs go even further, stating that their article here "refers to UK" - which it doesn't. Scotland and Wales have their own national governing bodies. The article refers to ENGLAND.

So, lower public spending in England - via the Barnett Formula, health apartheid, the West Lothian Question... and MPs of all parties remain quite unconcerned about the people of England. Keep 'em quite. Put in more CCTV. Keep the DNA Database. Tell 'em it's to combat terrorism. Fool the people. Crush the people.

As charges of racism can brought on grounds of nationality/country of origin, it seems that the major UK political parties - New Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dumbs, and the BNP are ALL guilty of racism.

Now, isn't that a spooky factoid?

John McDonnell - Heathrow Third Runway Plan: A Disgrace To The Democracy Of This Country

From the BBC:

A Labour MP has been suspended from the House of Commons for five days after angry exchanges over the decision to approve a new Heathrow runway.

John McDonnell was sanctioned after he picked up the mace, the ornamental club which represents the royal authority of Parliament, in a breach of protocol.

The Hayes and Harlington MP said the decision not to hold a vote on the runway was a "national disgrace".

Anyone manhandling the mace is considered in contempt of Parliament.

'Disgrace'

During a statement by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon on Heathrow Mr McDonnell left his seat, grabbed the mace - which dates from the reign of Charles II - and put it down on an empty bench on the Labour side of the House.

While doing so, he shouted: "It's a disgrace to the democracy of this country."

The runway will wipe the village of Sipson from the map. Ironically, Gordon Brown, who presides over the current UK Government, could not inflict the same horrors on his own constituents as the Scottish Parliament controls their planning procedures.

Whatever happened to democracy? Whatever happened to accountability?

In England it is dead.

Thanks to the Scottish Raj at Westminster, unaccountable-to-England MPs representing Scots and Welsh constituencies, and MPs representing English constituencies who resolutely refuse to represent England's local or national interests, keeping their snouts buried deep in the trough.

Sickening.

Well done to John McDonnell, even if he's only just become aware that something's rotten in Westminster Heaven.

Take a look at the broader issues, John.

UPDATE:

“Gordon Brown has introduced a Bill specifically designed to circumvent current planning law and force a third runway through” - Susan Kramer MP

Gareth has more - just click on the red text to go to Toque.

Against The Odds - Slough Flies The English Flag...

Slough Town Hall is to fly the Cross of St George, the national flag of England, on St George's Day for the first time next year, thanks to Diana Coad, a prospectuve Tory MP for Slough.

Cue panic in Labour ranks, and a quick quote from a seemingly un-informed bystander...

Says Rob Anderson, Slough's Labour Group Leader: "I do not need to prove my Englishness by wrapping myself in the flag of St George when the Union flag is the flag for everybody."

The "flag for everybody"? No it isn't. It is simply the flag of the UK, it does not represent ethnic diversity. In fact, some see it as an imperialist left-over. And Jack Straw has made plain that public buildings in Scotland and Wales will be exempt from new guidelines to fly the Union flag and be able to fly their own national flags, the Saltire and Welsh dragon instead.

So, "The flag for everybody", Mr Anderson? No. It is simply the flag forced upon England by an increasingly non-democratic government, trying desperately not to reveal to the electorate in England what devolution has done elsewhere.

India-born Professor Vijaya Gupta, founder of the Slough Senior Citizens Group, said: “Regionalism signifies diversity, and can cause havoc. We saw what happened in India as a result of the Partition. England is part of the United Kingdom and I think the Union flag is enough. It covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

Actually, regionalism does not come into it, Professor. England is as much a nation as Scotland or Wales and with devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland running apace, and health apartheid, the West Lothian Question and Barnett Formula heaping inequalities aplenty upon the electorate in England, some form of English national representation is now needed in the UK.

And the English - and by this I mean citizens of England - should be as free to fly their flag from their public buildings as the Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish.

And to have their NHS and public services funded to the same levels as elsewhere in the UK, too.

At the moment, lives in England are not valued as highly as those in Scotland. MPs representing Scots constituencies force legislation onto England and we heavily subsidise the other nations of the UK, to our own detriment.

Anybody who objects to positive manifestations of Englishness in England is, at the best of times, suspect or at the very least ill-informed. But at these, some of the very worst of modern times for every man, woman and child in this country, such people are either on the deeply corrupt political gravy train or so out of touch that they should not be quoted in the first place.

More here.

Hat-tip to Flagman.

David Cameron: Scottish Poll Tax Lies

Tory leader David Cameron's speech was basically an anti-English rant, designed to appeal to the most insensitive and bigoted of Scots bigots, and its references to the Poll Tax, the idea of a Scot, as an "experiment" imposed on Scotland a year before England, as already pointed out on this blog, were pure myth, but added fuel to the anti-English flavour.

Now, Tory MP Malcolm Rifkind has put the record straight in a letter to The Scotsman -although a well-known anti-English bigot himself, and therefore agreeing with the majority of David Cameron's bile, Mr Rifkind does not let the Poll Tax myth pass unchallenged. Will David Cameron now have the good grace to apologise for his disgraceful outburst, for misinforming the Scots, and fuelling further anti-English hatred in Scotland?

Or will it take further incidents of seven-year-old kids being thumped or disabled people being dragged from their cars before Mr Cameron realises that inciting hatred against the English in Scotland is simply not on?

Mr Rifkind's letter from The Scotsman (22/9/2006)...

I have read your report (16 September) of David Cameron’s remarks, and I very much agree with his general observations. But you report him as saying, on the community charge or poll tax, that “the decision to treat Scotland as a laboratory for experimentation in new methods of local government finance was clumsy and unjust”.

It has sometimes been suggested that the decision to introduce the poll tax in Scotland a year earlier than in England was to enable it to be tested. This is untrue, as those active in Scottish politics at the time will confirm.

The background is well known. Scotland, which had suffered a rates revaluation, was in uproar about the unfairness of the domestic rates system. Rates were also unpopular in England and the government decided to abolish them and replace them with the community charge or poll tax throughout Britain.

For various technical reasons it was going to take much longer for the legislation to be prepared in England than in Scotland. George Younger, who was then Scottish secretary, persuaded the Cabinet that the legislation should be introduced as soon as possible in Scotland and should not have to wait until the English were ready. His Cabinet colleagues accepted this request.

At no time was its timing pressed on Scottish Office ministers by Margaret Thatcher or English colleagues.

I, and my colleagues, have long recognised that the introduction of the poll tax throughout Britain was a serious political mistake. Introducing it a year earlier in Scotland was also a mistake, as we should have anticipated the damaging claim, however incorrect, that the government was using Scotland to test the new reform.

That does not alter the historical reality that the earlier introduction in Scotland, wise or foolish, was decided by Scottish Office ministers because of the unpopularity of domestic rates and not because of any pressure from Mrs Thatcher or other colleagues.

(SIR) MALCOLM RIFKIND, MP
House of Commons
London

Cameron should apologise to everybody in England. For a start, the Poll Tax was the brainchild of a Scot, Douglas Mason, who came up with the idea in the mid-1980s. Apologies, please Scotland? Crickets.

And then Cameron should resign. His raging English-phobia makes him unfit to be Conservative party leader. Perhaps he could join New Labour? But why are they so anti-English? Shouldn't they be representing the working classes? Or is it a little matter of votes? Well, Labour, you're hardly likely to win more voters in England by sweeping things under the carpet and demonizing the country.

We remember Scotland's Darien project, its disproportionate role in the British Empire, and the partitioning of Ireland under a Welsh PM, with avid backing of Protestant Scots MPs, even if you pretend not to.

More on the Poll Tax history here.

Hat tip to the England Project.

UPDATE...

Greg from Cumbria - howdy!

I hate the way English MPs and England were blamed for "forcing" the Poll Tax onto Scotland early. I remember that smug Australian Clive James stating on TV that the current situation was "Scotland's revenge for the Poll Tax". Stupid man.

Now at last the truth is being publicised - and, by the way, Cameron is not the only one guilty of blackening the reputation of English MPs in Scotland over the Poll Tax. A few years ago, Tony Blair was up there, going on about the West Lothian Question and saying that it was "not the same as English MPs railroading the Poll Tax through in Scotland". I think it was quoted on the CEP site or News Blog

It's not just David Cameron who should be apologising!

Thanks, Greg. Anybody got a copy of the Blair comment?

This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.