Dave says, in a comment earlier that “… there are more ways to address [the problem of Scottish influence in England] than a new Parliament“.
First, to be clear, “Scottish influence” isn’t really a fair abbreviation of the problems Dave was referring to. For a more complete idea of the problem, see the Campaign for an English Parliament’s Frequently Asked Questions.
So Dave (and others), let me know if you would, what solutions there are to the democratic deficit in England other than an English Parliament.
September 28th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Personally I think Scottish independence would be a fairly comprehensive solution.
September 28th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Scottish independence does solve some major problems, but not the problem of Welsh MPs voting on English matters.
Also any independence granted to Scotland would be negotiated by the British government. That would mean, very shortly, Gordon Brown or John Reid negotiating with the country that the constituency he represents is situated in. I would prefer that negotiations for any particular country’s withdrawal was done by the parliaments of the other countries.
September 28th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Yes but the weakness in the whole argument is the Scottish unwillingness, at ground level, to devolve. They know which side their bread’s buttered on.
September 28th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
I greatly enjoyed your contribution on climate change Gavin, on Iain Dale’s site today. Thanks