There has been lots of comment and speculation about an EU rescue of Greece and in particular whether the UK will or will not (or morally should or should not) contribute.
Whilst there are arguments on all sides (we shouldn't, we're not part of the Euro; we should, we're part of the EU; we won't get a choice, Gordon Brown signed the Lisbon Treaty; how can we afford it, we're broke?), there is another issue I'd like to raise.
England has been bailing out the rest of the UK for centuries. It's now officially enshrined as the Barnett formula. Free prescriptions, tuition and care for the elderly, unheard of in England, are the standard in other parts of the UK.
Eurosceptics often point out that noone under 52 has ever voted on our membership of the EU. I would point out that noone has EVER voted on England's participation in the UK. How about that for a referendum?
Showing posts with label Barnett Formula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barnett Formula. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Why 2010 is so important... (part 1)
You may have seen Iain Dale's prediction for the 2010 election.
He is predicting a narrow Conservative majority of just 12 seats. Amazingly, this corresponds almost exactly to the number of seats he is predicting the Conservatives will win outside England (13).
If his breakdown is correct, the 'United Kingdom Government' will have just 9 out of 40 seats in Wales and 4 out of 59 seats in Scotland. This will give them virtually no democratic mandate to rule the whole of the UK, and rob the UK of any claim to legitimacy as a unified state. Their power will rest almost solely on winning 318 out of 529 English seats.
He is predicting a narrow Conservative majority of just 12 seats. Amazingly, this corresponds almost exactly to the number of seats he is predicting the Conservatives will win outside England (13).
If his breakdown is correct, the 'United Kingdom Government' will have just 9 out of 40 seats in Wales and 4 out of 59 seats in Scotland. This will give them virtually no democratic mandate to rule the whole of the UK, and rob the UK of any claim to legitimacy as a unified state. Their power will rest almost solely on winning 318 out of 529 English seats.
What's true of the EU, is true of the UK, only more so...
Douglas Carswell, Conservative MP for Harwich and Clacton and one of the most thoughtful politicans of our age, is submitting a Private Members Bill on an 'in or out' referendum regarding the UK's membership of the EU. It is an important bill, that deserves to be widely publicised and I urge you to go to his page and send it on to your friends or on facebook, twitter, blogs etc.
I'm afraid, however, that Douglas isn't really taking things to their logical conclusion. Every argument that can be made against the UK being a member of the EU (loss of sovereignty, financial cost, loss of an independent voice in the world, a lack of democracy) is equally true of England's membership of the UK.
I'm afraid, however, that Douglas isn't really taking things to their logical conclusion. Every argument that can be made against the UK being a member of the EU (loss of sovereignty, financial cost, loss of an independent voice in the world, a lack of democracy) is equally true of England's membership of the UK.
Monday, 18 January 2010
Independent England, Independent Thought
This blog is not affiliated in anyway to any political party.
This is not only because no political party is currently advocating English Independence. It is also because I feel that the cause of national self-determination is essentially apolitical, and I do not wish to alienate any potential supporters of that cause with any political endorsements.
My own political views could be characterised as on the Libertarian side of Right-of-Centre thought, but is essentially irrelevant to the cause of English Independence and the principle of self-determination.
My goal is to attract supporters of all parties who identify themselves as English, and deplore the denial of English national and cultural identity within the United Kingdom. By doing so, I hope to advance the cause of English Independence and ensure addressing the injustices done to England are moved up the list of priorities in all political priorities.
The Campaign for an Independent England
Welcome to the campaign for an Independent England.
We believe that the best interests of England will be served by cession from the United Kingdom and the establishment of an independent English state. The devolution introduced since 1997 has created a democratic deficit that penalises the people living in England, and makes them pay for it. Even Scots and Welsh Nationalists have noted the disadvantage suffered by England. The English Democrats, a minor party with no MPs or councillors, obstensibly campaign for 'England', but their manifesto calls only for an English Parliament within a federal UK, which is manifestly not independence and a weaker position than that held by the SNP or Plaid Cymru in relation to Scotland or Wales.
We believe that the best interests of England will be served by cession from the United Kingdom and the establishment of an independent English state. The devolution introduced since 1997 has created a democratic deficit that penalises the people living in England, and makes them pay for it. Even Scots and Welsh Nationalists have noted the disadvantage suffered by England. The English Democrats, a minor party with no MPs or councillors, obstensibly campaign for 'England', but their manifesto calls only for an English Parliament within a federal UK, which is manifestly not independence and a weaker position than that held by the SNP or Plaid Cymru in relation to Scotland or Wales.
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