WHY would there be any extra bureaucrats, politicians, or expense by having an English Parliament? We are not asking for any more MPs, in fact we could reduce the office space of Welsh and Scottish MPs (as they return to their respective parliaments,) and cut down on the hot air generated at Westminster. The Lords is a shambles and has been so undermined through the use of patronage that it really has to go in its current format. There could be an honours system, but this would not confer legislating rights, but could allow certain specialists to be retained by advisory committees to assist a new structure for scrutinising committees, (going by the dogs breakfast of legislation that is currently getting through is badly in need of updating.)

We can replace the Lords (and all their attendance allowances etc.) with a New Federal Upper Chamber, which met less frequently than the lower House, paid a pro-rated salary and concentrated on Federal issues and did a better job of moderating between the nations of the UK to minimise differences in public service provision.

It would be alot cheaper than 9 unwanted EU controlled Regions, each with their mini Parliaments (no one complained about the cost of this, and all the attendant office space, bureaucrats and expense allowances for Brussels)the Tories are still propping them up, why when the Tories said they would withdraw from them?

Democracy should not be judged simply on cost anyway. No one seemed to bat an eye lid at the obscene amount of money spent on the Scottish Parliament???? Wales's New Cultural Centre???

Besides, the English already have the location for her Parliament – where it has always been at Westminster – so there is a cost saving for starters.

No Mr Redwood, whether your idea is right or wrong it isn't for you or the Conservative party for that matter to decide. This is a matter for the people of England. The views are firming up. You know that 68% of a recent poll run by the Telegraph supported an English Parliament – wouldn't you like 68% of the electorate to vote Conservative??? Figures like that would transform the party for years to come.

Ignoring the rights of the people of England is a big big mistake. It could well come to pass, that all three parties will lose support in England for failing to defend essential English interests – where will Unionism be then? No, the ONLY way to save the Union is to treat the English with respect, give the English the right to debate the subject. Back the English Constitutional Convention and urge the creation of a British Constitutional Convention to debate the wider Federal implications of what Labour has done. To ignore the subject, to stifle debate, or to rubbish the English because they want a Parliament is a dangerous path to tread. It says Tories aren't democrats they are in fact tolerant of undemocratic behaviour and in a world where people don't like their intelligence insulted, that is an uncomfortable place to be.

If national democracy is good for Scotland, Wales and N.I. – then it's good enough for us, the English. We are supposed to be 'united' in a United Kingdom. It will only survive if EVERYONE is treated the same throughout the Union. The fact that the self delusional 'clever people' at Westminster who originally thought up this camel have messed it all up with their assymetric devolution is not anywhere near a valid excuse for denying DEMOCRACY to the English.

My Sons will not be going to Uni' … they can't damn well afford it – they're English you see – so it'll be top ups all the way for them. And if they did go to Uni' – and chose a Scottish University then the Scottish Executive has brought in measures to effectively fine English students with extra charges to deter them from coming (everyone else including students from the EU can go there for free, obviously)…..

And over the last year how many cases has there been of English women with breast cancer trying to get vital life saving drugs from their PCT. Obviously, these drugs are freely available to everyone in Scotland – for free. The same goes for bowel cancer testing, Altzheimer's and bone cancer drugs. In Scotland if you're ill – find a Chemist… In England? Better get yourself a Lawyer – you're going to need him.

I live near the Welsh border Mr Redwood. Do you reckon I will be able to nip across to Wales after April to collect my free prescriptions? Not likely, Rhodri Morgan has vowed to stop 'health tourism' by the English. He is bringing in legislation via the Assembly to effect that commitment. It didn't stop the Royal Shropshire Hospital (in Shrewsbury, England) last year treating a Welsh woman with Herceptin paid for by the Welsh Assembly. Meanwhile IN THE NEXT BED, an English woman was denied the drugs on the basis of costs…. Makes you proud to be British don't it Mr Redwood?

My Mum is 84 years old and lives in Sheffield. She's getting a bit frail and soon may have to go into residential care. After a lifetime of thrift, she'll have to sell the only thing she owns to pay for it – the house. Naturally, in Scotland, they can keep their homes to pass on to their children. The helpful Scottish Executive will pay for all residential fees of their Scottish aged. All this largesse is only achievable because of the good old Barnett Formula – paid for by English taxpayers. I notice by the way that good old David Cameron has committed even more money to Scotland in a desperate attempt to gain votes from north of the border.

Perhaps the attitude at the Westminster Ivory Towers Palace is summed up by the first line in your round up "I am surprised at how many want a seperate English Parliament".
Mr Redwood, do you think you just might be a tad out of touch mate? And how is it going to work when Brown takes over? The ultimate insult – a man in charge of us with absolutely no mandate from the English people. He'll be bringing in legislation on health, education, transport, planning ect – non of which will impact on his constituents…. You just couldn't make it up.

In the last poll on the subject 63% of English people wanted an English Parliament. They are merely reflecting the outrage and frustration that is growing right now in the grassroots of England. And if you're 'surprised' at that, well I'm amazed. Any democrat worth his salt would SURELY think the current status quo was just appalling. The Tories have only very recently started to make noises about the totally bizarre EVOEL strategy. Shame on you all. It's unworkable and so is your 'solution'. The only way forward is a parliament for England – and politicians better start waking up right now to address it before the union goes completely pear shaped..

Is this the same Party whose leader said the English were ignorant little Englanders who didn't show enough respect to Scotland? The same Party whose leader announced he had "a lot of Scottish blood flowing through these veins?" Why is that relevant? The Scots would rather stick pins in their eyes than vote for a Tory. Yet still they bend over backwards to beg to be elected. Have they no shame?

Roll on Independence for England, so we can get some politicians with a backbone between them. The current bunch are way out of step with the rest of the country.

May in London – Come one, come all. Celebrate the anniversary of the cursed Union in style. Make it a day they will never forget.

One thing I do know is that if change isn't made soon, the UK will definitely break up. The English will not be treated as second class citizens and our allegiance to the union is NOT at any price. It's being severely tested and for many of us, myself included, it's already gone too far. I don't consider myself British anymore – I'm English. Please try and get this message through to David Cameron before his fascination with preserving the union at all costs means he goes the same way as recent Tory leaders. Perhaps this is one area he could learn from Tony Blair, who commented that there's no point having good ideas if you never get into power to put them into practice.

The English didn't ask Labour to meddle with the UK constitution – it was their choice and they made sure it was done with their own political gain in mind. So if it's gone wrong and the union is being threatened as a result, we know at whose door to lay the blame.

England NOT Britain!

The Conservative party started regions and gerrymandered the borders to suit its own electoral advantage. Labour then regerrymandered the regional borders to suit itself. Neither of these parties cares about the English. David Cameron gives every impression he would sell the north of England into slavery if it provided half a dozen Conservative MPs in his beloved Scotland.

All three main parties at Westminster are anti-English

Welshman Rt. Hon. John Prescott Deputy Prime Minister email quote:-" – there is no such nationality as English as laid down by various acts of Parliament and accession."

Scotsman Charles Kennedy – to Scottish Liberal Democrats quote:- "In England regionalism is growing as never before, calling into question the idea of England itself."

No self-respecting English person trusts or respects people like that in Westminster making decisions on their behalf.

However, when calls for an English Parliament are raised in order to redress the dreadful democratic, social and cultural imbalances between England and the rest of the laugably named "United Kingdom" David Cameron's response was "I'll take on sour Little Englanders who wanted rid of Scotland".

In other words, don't complain you are a pensioner in England who has to pay for your central heating while those in Scotland don't; don't complain about having to pay top-up fees in England while students in Scotland don't; don't complain about being denied life-saving drugs because you live in England, which are freely available on the "NHS" everywhere else; and don't complain about the growing list of disadvantages English people endure for the sake of the so-called Union.

I suppose we should be grateful that Cameron actually calls us "Englanders" as we don't actually have the privilege of a nationality in Gordon Brown's "nations and regions of Britain".

It is nigh impossible to register a company with "English" in its title at Companies House (in England), but very easy to call one "Irish", "Scottish" or "Welsh" and presumably "French".

An English Parliament is the very least the English people should be provided with. Avoiding and suppressing debate about, let alone the desire for, an English Parliament has merely increased calls for English independence.

The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties could not have done a better job in "souring" English attitudes to the Union if they had tried.

The fact is that this Spring elections take place for the Scottish Parliament and according to opinion polls the SNP look set to give Labour a close run. The break up of the UK could be closer than we think, bending over backwards to save a less than happy union increasingly looks a vain hope.