English Referendum, Why Not?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2757554/Cameron-Clegg-Miliband-pledge-higher-spending-Scotland-rule-English-parliament-Tory-MPs-say-no-Scottish-Chancellor-EVER.html

Since our leaders are prepared to give the Scots preferential treatment than the English are given, isn't it not time that England was given a referendum on whether or not we want to go it alone, perhaps at the same time as the promised EU referendum.

[ToraToraTora]

No, last thing we need is another layer of snouts in the trough. Personally I'd abolish all the councils, wales/Scott parliament and halve the the number of MPs and double their wages. Axe all but 100 of the lords and make them electable. for Christ sake how many useless politicians do we need???

[New Judge]

Yes, I'm absolutely with 3Ts.

Unless the UK Parliament is abolished we do not need an English Parliament. Ruling my life at present I have (in descending order of seniority and annoyance) the EU; The Westminster Parliament; a Regional Assembly; and a local council. People less fortunate than me also have to put up with County Councils, District Councils and Parish Councils.

I would be perfectly willing to accept an English Parliament if the UK was broken into component parts and England stood as an independent sovereign nation. But it would have to be a much reduced affair with a maximum of around 100 members. As I have said before and in complete agreement with 3Ts I would like to see the abolition of all layers of government below that. Local areas could arrange for bin emptying and street cleaning under a paid General Manager ("Executive" is too grand). All other functions would be overseen and administered by central government. There are far too many layers of and branches of government in the UK, all vying with one another for various powers, all arguing with one another and placing the blame for their shortcomings on one another and all doing all they can, not to facilitate people's lives but to interfere and annoy people as much as they can. Ring your local council with a problem to see what I mean. Armies of scribes and phone answerers are employed to tell you that nothing can be done to help you. But put a scrap of rubbish in the wrong bin and the full might of the busybodies will rain down upon you.

No, the English may benefit from a referendum to see if they'd like to leave the UK. But that would not be the deal and the last thing they need is to remain in and have yet another layer of useless, expensive government thrust upon them interfering in their lives as they try to go about their business.

[boxtops]

No, it's not necessary

[ToraToraTora]

judge as usual you put more effort into explaining it than me so thanks for that, bang on as usual on this subject. I particularly hate the idea that it is necessary to have 50+ usless busy bodies claiming exes running all the local authorities. For Funks Sake round here they even have a "cabinet" in the council, gawd help us. I know several personally and what a pretentious useless sh0wer of guano. Abolish the lot and employ a few half decen managers to run the towns. much cheaper and probably better organised.

[lindapalmara]

New Judge for Prime Minister! I do not jest!!

[sp1814]

Who would be allowed to vote in this referendum AOG?

There are some people who live here, who others don't consider 'English'.

Would they have a say?

[Slapshot]

Simple economics...... no oil!!

[THECORBYLOON]

The Party leaders may promise all sorts to bribe folk in Scotland but they seem to have forgotten that in the event of a "no" vote, it will be up to MPs in Westminster to vote through those promises and who is to say that they will?

[Slapshot]

The new powers are aready there Corbyloon as part of The Scotland Act, Westmister have just prevaricated with them. If they had allowed progress on those powers earlier this vote wouldn't even be close. The bulk of the people in Scotland would be happy with Devomax

[THECORBYLOON]

Not so, the promises involve a White Paper in November followed by draft legislation early in 2015 and hat can be done only with the support of Westminster MPs.

[Slapshot]

Then this is something new, there are many of the powers they are talking about within the Scotland Act

[anotheoldgit]

You have got me wrong I am not asking for yet another parliament as well as the one we have got, what I am saying is that since Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own ruling body, why shouldn't the English?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Who would be allowed to vote in this referendum AOG? ///

/// There are some people who live here, who others don't consider
'English'. ///

/// Would they have a say? ///

Still carrying around that enormous chip are we sp?

But to answer the question, and I would have thought that to anyone of reasonable intelligence, it would be anyone who is legally a resident of England.

[ToraToraTora]

"You have got me wrong I am not asking for yet another parliament as well as the one we have got, what I am saying is that since Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own ruling body, why shouldn't the English? " - that's what it would mean though, unless you are saying dissolve Westminster.

[anotheoldgit]

ToraToraTora

/// that's what it would mean though, unless you are saying dissolve Westminster. ///

That is exactly what I am saying, but the English Parliament could still hang on to the building.