Campaign for an English Parliament

Troubled waters for River Esk

AN MP has called for a top-level investigation into the policing of the River Esk.

Dumfriesshire representative David Mundell wants rules on the river changing and says the Calman Commission, set up to look into the future of devolution in Scotland, is the ideal vehicle for it.

The MP has written to the commission’s chairman Sir Kenneth Calman in the latest battle over river rights.

When the Scotland Act was introduced, it regulated fishing rights and responsibilities on rivers that crossed the Scotland/England border — the rivers Esk and Tweed.

A regime was introduced whereby the Tweed Commissioners, via the Scottish Parliament, was responsible for the Tweed and the Environment Agency, via the Westminster UK government, was responsible for the Esk.

However, in 2003, the English-based Environment Agency introduced rod licences on the Scottish section of the Esk to much consternation and annoyance of local anglers.

And the politician has been battling since to get the situation reviewed.

Mr Mundell said: “While the Tweed situation has worked well I am afraid the situation with the Environment Agency and the Esk has not, particularly in the agency seeking to enforce measures onto the Border Esk in Scotland in accordance with English regulations and not those elsewhere in Scotland.

“This has proved most unsatisfactory and is a matter which I believe should be looked into as part of any amendment to the Scotland Act.

“I am calling on the Calman Commission to see what capacity there is for them to look at this specific issue.”

Of course the difference is that citizens in Dunfriess and Galloway can approach not only their MSP, so that their parliament can make representations to the British Government but also to their own Westminster MP so that changes can be made in Westminster.  The English citizens bordering the English Tweed and the English river Till have no representation in the Scottish parliament which makes laws and regulations governing their access to these rivers in their own country.

So, in this matter,  we have two classes of citizens in the UK; those that have double representation in the relevant seats of governance and those that have none.