The Scottish Liberal Democrats have leaked the result of an IPPR report showing increased support for an English Parliament.
Purvis: federal structure better for Scotland and the UK
Commenting on the IPPR report showing growing support for an English Parliament, Liberal Democrat Finance spokesperson Jeremy Purvis said:
“Liberal Democrats have long held the view that devolution to Scotland should be matched with devolution within England.
“That is why we argued in the Steel Commission that it is better for Scotland and the other nations in the UK if we moved to a federal financial structure.
“What we must guard against is a growing nationalism across the United Kingdom that begins to set the nations of the UK against each other.
“This is in no-one’s interests and only furthers the political agenda of the SNP.”
The Lib Dems have long held the view that devolution should be extended to England but certainly not that Scottish devolution should be matched in England. The Lib Dems have been promoting regional devolution in England for years, despite massive public opposition to the idea.
Look at the wording:
Liberal Democrats have long held the view that devolution to Scotland should be matched with devolution within England
Not for England, within England. Balkanised, dismembered and undermined. Nine artificial euroregions with no identity, limited powers and controlled by the British government. A glorified county council is no answer to Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution.
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I just wish they would stop pretending that “Regional Devolution” was anything to do with decentralising power rather than just the opposite.
“Regional” Government that takes its power from local Councils and its orders from Westminster is just the worst of all possible worlds.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:40 pmThe English don’t want to see England disappear and replaced with regions, only to see Scotland and Wales become independent at their liesure, leaving the English without a country, but ruled by Brussels.
However, this is exactly what the Liberal Democrats want. Afterall, their previous leader, the Scot Charles Kennedy, said to Scottish Liberal Democrats, that “regionalisation in England is moving at such a pace as to bring into question the existence of England itself”.
The Liberal Democrats are neither Liberal nor Democratic, well at least not where the English are concerned. Don’t vote for them good English folk.
March 1st, 2010 at 10:11 pmThe IPPR report shows that support for devolution to the so-called English regions has sunk while support for an English Parliament has grown steadily. The English Question is now becoming a live issue, to which the Labour party has no answer, the Liberal Democrats have no answer and the Tories can only offer a ‘pretendy’ answer of procedural changes at Westminister that would still leave Scots and Welsh MPs able to impose policies England to which their own compatriots are not subject. I suppose it would be too much to ask for a referendum?
March 1st, 2010 at 10:50 pm[...] Comments David B. Wildgoose on Battlebus Tour: Day 6Ian on Lib Dems: Devolution to Scotland should be matched with devolution within EnglandStephen Gash on Lib Dems: Devolution to Scotland should be matched with devolution within [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:00 amThe latest comment, from A Carmichael, the Lib-Dem Shadow Scottish Secretary, suggests some new thinking is taking place unless he is out on a limb. He suggests that the English have to decide between regional assemblies and an English Parliament. I can’t make out whether he thinks the English are prevaricating or turning their noses up at both when, silly people, they must choose one or the other like the other sensible UK nations. As we would tell him, a chance would be a fine thing. I’ve asked the Lib-Dems to clarify. Don’t count on a meaningful reply.
March 5th, 2010 at 11:15 pm