In all of the devolution debates that have gone on, the Scottish, the Welsh, the Northern Irish have all been given their own local government which is perfectly fine, but in doing so what has happened is that those MPs who represent those areas are having a say in English matters, but English MPs can’t have a say in the other areas matters, a point in example is that all MPs have a say in the reforms of the English education system, but can the English MPs have a say in the Scottish education reform, can they hell. This devolution has been a one way process, where by the non-English MPs haven’t lost any of their power and can actually screw us English over and thus make our lives worse than their own constituents.
A further point with this, when London got its own local government in the Mayor we were told that we were to have much more power than we currently have. Why did that change, the simple answer would be, because Ken Livingstone won, the Labour Party didn’t want him to have power that they felt he would be able to use against them, so basically Londoners lost out because of this government wanting to remain in power and reward those north of the borders, west of the borders with more power and leave us English floundering against rules which others countries in the union don’t have to tell with, well thank you so very much Mr.Blair.
This is Mr.Blair’s take
Why English MPs are a lesser class of MP
Someone who is basically looking after his party’s fortunes rather than looking after this country.
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The local governments in Wales/Scotland etc - they can have laws etc imposed on from Westminster and still ultimately comes under the authority of Westminister, especially in the case of Wales - any law England pass applies to Wales too.
Likewise with tax etc.
Devolution for England - can only happen once Wales/Scotland/NI have 100% complete power of their own - ie they become independant of England with their own taxes and law making power etc. Until then....
You say that Westminster can impose laws, I accept that, but what you have missed is that those laws are voted on by the MPs for those local areas and it thus affects all of them.
In the recent situation of the smoking ban, a certain John Reid was pushing for England not to have a smoking ban, yet his own area was to have one, thus making the English worse off and not enjoy the same 'luxury' as the rest of the UK. Another situation is the debacle re the education. Scotland dictates its own education now, completely removed from Westminster, but those Scottish MPs in the House of Commons, can dictate what the education system is in the rest of the UK, except for Scotland, and so can impose a worse situation on the rest of the UK, which they proceeded to do with regards to University education.
Another example is where in England prescription charges are always rising, yet in Wales the local assembly has decided to ensure that no one pays, great idea, but one taken locally, not imposed by Westminster.
The issue of tax, well in London, we have our Mayor with some tax raising abilities, and I believe the Scottish Parliament also can do so, to a degree, though the Welsh would like to have their own, and I agree with it.
The main issue is that England is seen as being Britain, and not its own entity, which it is, and I know a great many people who would love to see the likes of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland seperated from England for various reasons, and some less polite than others.
The sooner devolution is completed, the sooner many in England will feel that we are on equal footing. Though with this centralistic government, that will never occur, and we will always be at the whim of a government that many in England didn't want, and didn't vote for.
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