The Problems

The majority of people in Wales, according to opinion polls, say they want to scrap the Welsh Assembly. A minority want to keep it and some want the Assembly to be given extra tax-raising powers.

Opinion in Scotland about the success of the Scottish Parliament is more divided, but many Scots regard the Scottish Parliament as an expensive failure.

Recent by-elections in Scotland have given unwarranted strength to the Scottish nationalist parties, not simply because there is a massive swing towards Scots independence, but as a direct result of Labour’s appalling performance and a hereditary opposition to voting Conservative. Given the option of Liberal Democrat or something a bit more local, the SNP are winning by default every time.

Many think it is time the Welsh and the Scots had a chance to vote again on whether they want to keep their Assembly and Parliament. We agree that if enough people in those countries demand a referendum, they should have one.

Now that the Northern Irish, Welsh and Scots have their own Assemblies or Parliament, it is clear that many English people feel a sense of injustice that they do not have a separate voice of their own. Some, like the Campaign for an English Parliament, even want to go as far as demanding a separate Parliament for England.

The cockeyed approach to public services is creating a lot of bad feeling in England, as the Scots, Welsh and Irish get free prescriptions, whilst the English still pay. Free University courses for Scottish students and many other free travel perks are again handed out on an uneven basis and have to be paid for mostly by tax payers in England. Scotland’s tax deficit for 2006 was in excess of £16 billion, bailed out by English tax payers, whilst they then have to pay again for the same services. This practice can certainly not continue and the endless grey areas created by low-level dribs and drabs of devolution only create (quite rightly) mistrust in those making these fence-sitting attempts at a decision. This plays into the hands of exploitation.

The national curriculum specifies that Scottish culture be taught to children in Scotland and Welsh culture to children in Wales. But there is no specified policy in the national curriculum of teaching English culture to English children.

Many agree that it is high time to review the anomaly of Scots and Welsh MPs being able to vote on purely English matters - the so-called ‘West Lothian Question’ which we call ‘the English Question’. The majority of English MPs voted against foundation hospitals - yet England now has foundation hospitals because they were outvoted by Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

We are aware that there are those in Wales, Scotland and even now in England who believe it would be best to break up the United Kingdom and for each nation to go its own way. Opinion polls show that the majority of people want us to remain the United Kingdom. To maintain this Union, we believe that it’s vital that each ‘nation’ within the Union has as much autonomy over its own affairs as each ‘nation’ wants.

Our Solutions

We pledge to achieve a fair and inexpensive solution to ‘The English Question’ by :-

…introducing ‘English Business only’ days in Parliament where only English MPs could attend and vote on issues that concern only England. We think that about one day each fortnight would be sufficient to achieve this aim. We would propose calling it ‘The English Assembly’. We support the Bill recently introduced by Lord Baker, which would have set up such a scheme.

...opposing the demands for a new, separate English Parliament which would simply be yet another institution for politicians and bureaucrats and does not have popular support. It would be expensive and potentially divisive.

…re-examining the Barnett formula under which both Wales and Scotland receive significant subsidies from Parliament. The formula needs updating.

…rejecting the steady drift toward setting up regional assemblies for England. This is being done to further the aims of the European Union, which wants to see England broken up into regions as part of its policy of weakening national governments. We support a certain amount of regional decision-making (see our policies on local government) but we believe that most local decision-making should take place in our cities, towns, counties, boroughs and districts.

…equalling the access to benefits in areas such as prescriptions, education, travel etc, in line with the level of budget available both locally and nationally.

…including in the curriculum for English schools, a requirement that English culture and traditions be taught, as in Scotland and Wales.We would hold new referendums on devolution in Scotland and Wales - if enough people request one. We will hold binding referendums on whether the Scots and Welsh want to keep their Parliament and Assembly, if 10% of either the Scottish or Welsh petition for a referendum. 

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