Monday, September 5, 2011

I'll Raise Tebbit One More: Time For An English Parliament

Scottish Conservatives north of the border are locked in a leadership battle currently- and one of their candidates, Murdo Fraser is advocating blowing up the party altogether and starting a new one that can more accurately represent Scotland without the tarnish of Thatcher's economic policies following it around (her policies hit especially hard north of the border back in the day.)

Politically, it makes sense. The Tory presence north of the border has been virtually non-existent since Labour's landslide of 1997. They need to do something to remain viable- and Conservative Grandee Norman Tebbit agrees.

But I think if they're wise, Conservatives (and the Coalition) will go a step further and take devolution to it's logical ending point- federalism. It's monumentally unfair to let Scottish and Welsh MPs vote on matters than affect England when English MPs can no longer do the reverse. It's breeding resentment and rightly so amongst English taxpayers and makes the dissolution of the Union all the more likely within the next five to ten years.

Personally, I think Britain is stronger together than it would be apart- and besides, centuries together have left the English, Scots and Welsh with an easy going contempt of each other that's almost endearing at times.

But if Cameron is serious about preserving the Union, then the Constitutional Sticky Wicket of England's weird status in the semi-devolved United Kingdom needs to be tackled- and now.

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