Major Issues Bulletin 30 - EDP English Democratic Party.

WHAT FUTURE FOR ENGLAND?

What Conservative supporters during the recent general election (1997) must have found most pathetic was the way in which Tony Blair and his colleagues were constantly allowed to avoid important policy dilemmas by means of vague and ambiguous promises.

Perhaps the most obvious and banal example of this was the manner in which questions on policy were so often brushed aside with the assurance that Labour would always act “in the national interest”. However, the greatest degree of vagueness and ambiguity was undoubtedly evident in their approach to constitutional matters, especially devolution. Having changed his policy three times before the election, Blair was equally contradictory over whether the Scottish Parliament would be able to raise taxes ( which they can).

Unfortunately this dissembling and evasive approach to devolution has only increased the haze of the confusion surrounding the subject. Nevertheless, it is obvious that Labour thinking , like that of the he Liberal Democrats, has progressed very little from where it was during the 1997 referenda.

At the time their thinking was based on the report on the Constitution produced in 1973 by a Royal Commission under the chairmanship of Lord Kilbrandon. This report

recommended some degree of autonomy for Scotland and Wales, if a sufficient number of people in those countries wanted it . The recommendations also left the position of England completely unacceptable in a island which would contain a British parliament, a Scottish Parliament, a Welsh Assembly, but no English national legislature.

While Scotland and Wales would be able to express their authentic national identities as partly self-governing nations in their own national legislatures, it was clearly assumed that the English NATION would be prepared to be carved up into seven or eight partly autonomous regions, each with its own assembly or parliament.

It was obviously believed that each of these English regions would somehow form a balance in terms of population with the nations of Scotland and Wales. However, it was conveniently forgotten that the ancient kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Deira, Bernicia and so on were fully merged into a proud and successful English nation over a thousand years ago.

What is most surprising about these extraordinary constitutional proposals is not that they were produced by a Royal Commission, but that they still remain largely the basis for the Labour government’s solution to the problem of devolution. Certainly their emphasis on “the British nations and regions” approach to devolution is one of the main reasons why the Labour Party has been so successful in Scotland, not only limiting the Scottish National Party’s obvious appeal (written in 1997) but also leaving the Conservatives without a single MP.

It is, of course, quite understandable that such arrangements would appear to be entirely acceptable to the majority of the Scots and the Welsh, both of whom have long been determined to preserve and develop their national and cultural identities. After all, unlike the policies of the Nationalists, this solution does not require them to accept the uncertain and irrevocable transformation to complete national independence. It provides them with the certainty of a half-way house, with a partly autonomous national parliament or assembly, but still within the security of the British state. Moreover, if at any time in the future they decide that it would be advantageous to be independent, nothing could prevent them from becoming entirely self-governing.

(Scottish perspective to follow)

* * *

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN-IS THE EU COMMISSION LISTENING?

*

Ditch the EU TREATY after IRISH REJECTION

SAY VOTERS

by

Daniel Martin

Political Reporter

[Daily Mail-Wednesday, June 18,2008]

MORE THAN HALF of voters believe Britain should drop the controversial European Treaty in the wake of its rejection in last week's

IRISH REFERENDUM'

The poll comes as the Tories launch a last-ditch bid in the

HOUSE of LORDS

today to delay the

RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY.

And

10,000 people

have signed a

PETITION

on the

DOWNING STREET- WEBSITE

within the past few days

JUNE16-2008

, calling on the

GOVERNMENT

NOT TO RATIFY THE BILL

[WHY DON'T YOU?]

Downing Street website is

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Abandon-Lisbon/

*

JUNE 18-2008

Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty-2008

Leaders of the European Union's 27 member states meet in Portugal this week to sign what will now become known as the Lisbon Treaty.

*

The abolition of Britain
by The Reform Treaty
- Second Reading-Passed by majority of 138

*

Veteran parliamentarian TONY BENN speaks of the absolute necessity of a

REFERENDUM

HEAR HIM ON

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o0I-ZdvQz1o

13th October,2007

So You Want Out Of The EU

THEN WHY NOT SIGN THE

RENUNCIATION of EU CITIZENSHIP

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Optout

Details from petition creator

With the signing of the Maastricht Treaty the people of Britain were given

DUAL CITIZENSHIP

-both

EUROPEAN and BRITISH

The extra tier of citizenship was thrust upon the people without their consent -and in many cases knowledge.

The PEOPLE of GREAT BRITAIN should be allowed the option of opting out of the EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP if they so wish. The GOVERNMENT will then be able to provide those who have opted out with

BRITISH DOCUMENTATION

-only such as British (not EU) passports, driving licences and other national documents.

EU laws will also NOT APPLY to those who

HAVE OPTED OUT OF EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP

[PETITION OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 08]

www.noliberties.com

[Latest Addition - June07]

www.eutruth.org.uk

www.thewestminsternews.co.uk

www.speakout.co.uk

Daniel Hannan - Forming an OPPOSITION to the EU

www.telegraph.co.uk.blogs

PETITION

FOR A

REFERENDUM

SIGN TODAY ON LINE