THE NEED FOR AN ENGLISH PARLIAMENT

Following UKIP’s success in the EU elections it was a reasonable assumption that UKIP was setting the agenda up until the general election. The question being whether or not UKIP would be able to achieve a breakthrough at the 2015 general election and win MPs in Westminster, after which the focus would switch to the Tories and their reaction to the realignment on the Right of British politics that would be in the process of being imposed upon them.

However, the Scottish referendum campaign has opened up a whole new dimension and thrust the very existence of the British state onto the top of the political agenda. The EU is currently a sideshow. Should Scotland vote to leave the UK, then there will be a protracted tussle for the division of British assets and a new relationship. Should Scotland vote to remain in the UK, given the promises of yet more devolution promised by Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Tories and the timetable for it, then the constitution of the UK as a whole will be in a process of significant change – probably more so than if Scotland votes to leave.

John Redwood, a senior Tory MP and previous leadership candidate, has rightly demanded that there be the creation of an English parliament. It is said that many Tory MPs support this view, although they are currently keeping a very low profile; others are advocating English Votes on English Laws [EVEL]. Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs are trying to shift the debate into the direction of a policy of regionalization for England – a Labour, Liberal Democrat and EU policy that has already been rejected by the voters. John Redwood has rightly dismissed this as an attempt to fob off the English.

It should not be overlooked that what those in Scotland who desire change want is Home Rule. They are far less concerned about foreign affairs or defence. It is home affairs that dominates the debate and there is a feeling that Scotland is having its own political culture overruled by a Westminster elite. This separateness is reinforced by nationhood. The ordinary people in Scotland are not demanding that their MPs continue to vote on English issues – a fact confirmed by an opinion poll in today’s Daily Mail. It is the Scottish and Welsh MPs themselves who are doing so, with Labour being equally determined to subjugate equal rights for England as they are totally dependent upon Scottish and Welsh MPs for their Westminster majorities. Labour cannot win a general election in England only.

It is truly remarkable that the Tories have proved themselves to be so totally useless that they have been willing to sit back and watch Labour rig general elections by rigging the constitution so that a phalanx of Scots and Welsh Labour MPs troop into England to vote on English issues; for example, Scots MPs voted in favour of the introduction of tuition fees for English universities despite rejecting such fees for Scottish ones.

The British ruling class has acquiesced to Scotland’s independence referendum with its customary complacency. They allowed the Scottish nationalists, in the form of the SNP government in Holyrood, to set the question to be voted upon, to set the date of the referendum, and to choose the electorate [by including schoolchildren, including EU citizens currently residing in Scotland, and excluding the large number of Scots who happen to be currently living and working in England]. Despite enjoying a lead in the polls of up to 20% for a long time against independence, that lead has now been demolished and the result is too close to call. Some opinion polls put the separatists in the lead – the first opinion poll which did so, did so at a time when the David Cameron was very busy trying to be important at a NATO summit in Cardiff [the outcome of which was that the NATO response to the Ukraine crisis was to announce the promise of the creation, in a year’s time, of a British led rapid reaction force of 4,000 troops to which Britain would contribute 1,000 troops – as if Putin would take any notice of such pathetic posturing]. David Cameron himself ruled out the inclusion of devo max as a third option onto the ballot paper [which the SNP actually wanted]; David Cameron wanted a clear-cut choice and we will now get one.

As the British ruling class has woken up to the fact that they have a fight on their hands, they are doing all they can to try and win the vote. They may well succeed. But the closeness of the vote has sent a shudder through British politics which, it is widely acknowledged, has been irrevocably changed. But the momentum is with the SNP and they have achieved a victory for their cause whoever wins the referendum. It is only a question of the extent of the extra new powers and subsidies Scotland gets.

The predicament is not only a testimony to the political acumen of the SNP. It is also a testimony to the failure of English nationalism. The English Rights Campaign does not support either Scottish or English independence. What is needed is a reform of Britain and not its destruction. Genuine English nationalism is not anti-Scottishness nor a ‘Let’s wreck Britain’ movement, and such is a corruption of genuine English nationalism.

The Tories are also to blame in their lethargic failure to address the West Lothian Question [Scottish and Welsh MPs voting on English issues]. The Tories, as have many others including UKIP, have preferred to pretend that Labour’s vote rigging devolution had not happened [UKIP even has a policy of abolishing the Scottish parliament and replacing it with Westminster Scottish MPs traveling up to Holyrood to decide Scottish business]. They have preferred to convince themselves that if they ignored the Scottish and Welsh parliament/assembly then they could simply carry on as before as if nothing had happened. They have been proved to have been seriously wrong.

What is needed is the introduction of a proper federal structure for the governance of the constituent countries of Britain. This obviously necessitates the creation of an English parliament. What matters most is the principle that the countries are governed equally. This principle means not only that England has Home Rule but also that the powers of the Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies are increased.

The worst reaction to a narrow vote in Scotland to remain in the UK is to simply ladle out more goodies in the form of extra powers and more subsidies. What is needed is for a devolution of responsibility. Scotland should be responsible for taxing the revenues that it spends. With a federal structure, this goal would automatically apply to all the countries of Britain. A federal structure would bind Scotland into the UK as a fully integrated part of the new constitutional settlement.

Instead, thus far, the British ruling class remains committed to the deservedly criticized Barnett Formula and have specifically committed themselves to its continuance. The Barnett Formula should be abolished forthwith, as the Welsh nationalists are arguing and as Lord Barnett himself is calling for. Its deficiencies are well known [for example, see the English Rights Campaign items dated the 26 March 2006 and 14 March 2008]. The formula creates financial irresponsibility, unfairness, resentment and waste.

In his big speech on Scotland September 2006, David Cameron said: ‘I don't believe that, in the 21st century, Scotland will be cowed or intimidated into remaining part of the UK through fear of the economic consequences of going it alone’. In fact that is the strategy that the Better Together campaign has resorted to. In those far off days of 2006, David Cameron cited Britain’s ‘inclusive civic nationalism’ as a reason for the Scots to stick with Britain. For the reasons set out in the last century, civic nationalism is insufficient to inspire national loyalty – which is why the politically correct advocate it. The current crisis is in part caused by David Cameron’s commitment political correctness [see the English Rights campaign item dated 15 November 2005]. It takes more than a shared state to create a nation as Uri Ra’anan pointed out [see the English Rights Campaign item dated 25 May 2013]. Nationhood requires nurturing and patriotism. Political correctness and the EU both undermine, and are intended to undermine, the nation state and the nation.

Whatever the outcome of the Scottish referendum, what is needed is an awakening of English nationhood. It is to be hoped that John Redwood continues his campaign and that he succeeds in carrying the day. Cometh the moment, cometh the man?