England deserves better. England expects better. It is a sad occasion that this Government should wish to dismiss the only modest devolution ever offered to England, with nothing to put in its place. They leave instead Labourās lopsided and unfair devolution, a devolution proposed and forced through a previous Parliament, on a large majority, by a Labour party that said it would settle the constitution and unite the country behind the Union once and for all. It did nothing of the sort.
Surely this Government can now see that if they carry on, as Labour did, appeasing the forces that would pull the Union asunder, they will not bring the Union together but give those forces greater strength and a better platform. Instead of Scottish electors welcoming their devolved powers and deciding to continue in the traditional mould of two United Kingdom parties contesting power, they chose a party that wishes to pull the Union apart. Some of them chose that party because they thought the Government would give in to it, and so get a better deal for Scotland; and some of them chose that party because they genuinely wanted to pull the Union apart, although they were, of course, in a minority.
The Government and I treasure our United Kingdom. We wish this Union to work for everyone, but it has to be a fair Union. It will not be held together better by appeasing the SNP or by appeasing the EU over Northern Ireland. We above all in this House should be speaking up for all the millions of Unionists in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and throughout England and Wales, who expect better and expect fairness.
One of the crucial values that our United Kingdom shares is that idea of fairness. How is it fair to have these totally different categories of MP, with different powers, different responsibilities and different opportunities to influence how they are governed in their parts of the United Kingdom? Why is it that England, the home of many more millions of Unionists and more loyal to our country than anyone else in our Union, is the one part of the Union that gets no justice and no fairness from this Government or their predecessors?
Labour introduced policies that sought to break the Union in the name of keeping the Union. I want this Government to mend the Union, and that means standing behind all those people throughout the United Kingdom who believe in the Union, and to stop appeasing those who would pull it apart.
July 14, 2021
So true Sir John. No one has the courage to do this except you. So keep challenging. It seems many MPs don’t realise it behooves on them too!
July 14, 2021
Oh, it’s all so unfair, isn’t it, John?
July 14, 2021
Yes, Martin, it is actually. You are so predictably anti English. You and Andy make a good pair. I am sure somewhere in the EU would be prepared to take you.
July 14, 2021
I AM English.
July 14, 2021
then you ought to feel ashamed. You always come across as being gleeful on suggesting that other countries are better for all sorts of odd, often pathetic reasons.
July 15, 2021
It’s just a fact that certain other countries are better at some things than Tory Britain.
For instance running railways and providing occupational pensions.
Why don’t we learn from these, instead of uselessly reinventing (clown car oval) wheels or slavishly copying the dysfunctional, obsessed US?
July 14, 2021
The most anti English happen to be English, Martin.
July 14, 2021
Objectively, it clearly is MiC – just a shame that you don’t seem to understand that point of view.
zorro
July 14, 2021
You silly child.
July 14, 2021
France has taken to the streets.
Ć bas la dictature!
What next? The army ā¦.and bullets.
July 14, 2021
Why is this government and the conservative party shooting itself in the foot ref the banning of petrol cars in 2030 and now lorries in 2035ā¦.why are you intentionally doing damage to our economy and society
July 14, 2021
Goodness only knows, total insanity scientifically, does nothing for the climate or Co2 and is an electoral & political disaster too – āthose whom the gods would destroy first they make madā.
July 14, 2021
I wonder..
Possiblyā¦ look at the leaders who stood up to the nonsense!
July 14, 2021
Glen, but they are ‘building back better’… you can only do that after destroying something. Imagine ODL in a tractor bashing through walls, he loves that sort of stuff…
zorro
July 14, 2021
With hard hat, muzzle and reflective jacket on of course.
zorro
July 14, 2021
zorro :
The PM has decided that “building back better” is not sufficient and said at the G7 summit :
“We should be “building back greener, building back fairer and building equally, and ā how should I put it? ā in a more gender-neutral and perhaps a more feminine way”.
I can sort of understand “greener”, although any building work is not “green”, but what is meant by “fairer” or “equally” or “more gender-neutral” or “more feminine”?
July 15, 2021
He’s talking out of one of his orifices on the hoof – it’s what he does.
zorro
July 14, 2021
One of the crucial values that our United Kingdom shares is that idea of fairness.
Were I disagree with you Sir John is with this Government, fairness to them is ‘virtue signaling’ to be on message with the MsM. Fairness to them is they get to ‘grand stand’ on nothing with substance and it is seen as having meaning to their own ego’s.
The bit missing isn’t just England but the whole of the UK working from the same rule book. England does have its own ministers – health, education and others, they have no say in the devolved powers. England has Public Health England, prof Whitty etc. – they only have a say in England.
The UK PM is only the PM of England the devolved powers go there own way.
It is not an equal and fair UK. It gives the appearance of being broken up and downtrodden to suit the left wing aspirations of the few.
July 14, 2021
No suggested solution to correct the gross insult which England is expected to endure.
Clearly England does not count, just lots of Unionspeak.
July 14, 2021
Odd as the Tories are really an English party almost exclusively.
July 14, 2021
Exactly right, but alas it seems almost no one is listening.
Even the usually sound Steve Baker seems to have fallen for the ātaking the kneeā madness. Patel is quite right it is a rather pathetic gesture and an overtly political and Marxist one. It has no place before a football match and should rightly be booed. It is doing much to augment and highten racism and racist feeling & not prevent them.
Is Steve Baker not aware of quite how many people have died due to people following Karl Marxās and similar evil doctrines?
July 14, 2021
These people who dare not challenge the knee taking are cowards. They have caved in to the threats of being accused of racism. The MSM and many other elements are joining in too. They are a disgrace.
The thought that the proponents are innocent of malign thoughts and policies are extremely naive at best.
If we do not find a leader to oppose such intimidation our society is lost to a political view which deals out punishment and violence to opponents.
At least Pritti Patel has spoken out and she must be supported by the PM. If she or he should back down and apologise the Marxists and black power movement will have taken control of our country outside the democratic process.
July 14, 2021
Indeed, it wasn’t Priti who as being provocative.
I’d say the problem is football. I’ve always hated it because of the fans. I was in the ’70s in South London and took so much bullying because I couldn’t kick a ball that I learned to knock guys out by boxing for my county. No other sport needs to “Kick it Out” – not even boxing !!!
What on earth did they expect to happen by taking the knee in front of football hooligans and why hasn’t it been pointed out that the country has got behind the black players ? Or that 55 million English people did NOT take to social media and insult Marcus Rashford.
Ban football.
It will forever be a hotbed of nastiness.
July 15, 2021
I think that the obsessive over-promotion of football has had adverse effects, certainly.
Its presence on TV has turned many pubs from conversation spaces into tribal sheep dips for instance.
This can only have helped retrogressive political parties, so it will continue. There’s no chance of its being banned, even if that were not a self-evidently daft idea.
July 15, 2021
If anyone should doubt me, see the commentary on Guido Fawkes blog 15th July concerning the views of Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamini. Critics of taking the knee are ‘subhuman’. She has further warned ‘for your own mental health, don’t try my patience’.
July 14, 2021
Leadership hopes?
Trying to undermine Our Dear Leader ( oh no!)
Gave Starmer a nice soundbite in PMQ!
Baker is a politician after all.
July 14, 2021
Not nearly as many – several orders lower – than have died in the furtherance of imperialism, have they, LL?
July 15, 2021
MiC
Totally wrong as usual with your grasp of history.
Marxism in various dreadful forms has killed over 100 million people.
July 14, 2021
OFF TOPIC – but becoming a daily concern?
Reports of HGV drivers needed to fill estimated 100,000 vacancies.
EU deliveries here not being timely, delays becoming crititical.
Of major concern?-
German confectionery giant Haribo has said it is struggling to deliver its sweets to shops in the UK because of a shortage of lorry drivers. It said that like many other producers and retailers, it was “experiencing challenges” that were hitting supplies. The problems affect all Haribo sweets, including Goldbears and Tangfastics. The company said it was “working with partners across the food and drink industry” to address the problem.The haulage industry has blamed the pandemic and Brexit for thousands of unfilled HGV driver jobs.
The government said it had taken action, by increasing HGV driving test capacity and funding apprenticeships.
July 14, 2021
Agree shortage of lorry drivers seems to be Europe wide, still in the meantime for sweets, (which are allegedly bad for your teeth) the kids or parents could purchase and try something healthier instead.
But yes agree it could be a real problem for many other types of business.
Let’s hope the new Battery powered lorries have a good range, and can be charged up rapidly to keep the goods moving..
July 14, 2021
Alan I never bought my children sweets, but Iām pretty sure the sweet shops near me are still full Iāll check tomorrow but I havenāt noticed any shortage of confectionary on the shelves, there are British alternatives.
July 14, 2021
Micky Taking, what are Haribo struggling to find exactly, an EU driver to take an HGV on a ferry, deliver to itās usual warehouse in the UK? Where exactly is the hold up, in the British wholesale warehouse transmitting to the shops or bringing the goods overseas? Where in the UK is the wholesale warehouse that then distributes to the shops? An HGV wouldnāt go to individual shops in the UK? Which transport company is it they use?
July 15, 2021
I don’t know, don’t care, am glad that Brexit has damaged German companies, and I hope less damaging sweets will replace Haribo, even better – offer kids fruit instead.
July 14, 2021
The answer is simple. Stop delivering sugary stuff like Haribos. They are really bad for health. Stop delivering bottled water from France (or any bottled water) – this was UTTER loonacy at the best of times.
It has been known that we were leaving the EU for five years now – or was it ?
Blame Remainers who have spent all this time fighting to keep us in the EU.
July 14, 2021
Sir John, you have seen the dangers in successive Government policies very clearly, and your speech is a clear articulation of past and present policy failures. We need to remember that the UK countries other than England have benefitted greatly from devolution, all at the English taxpayers’ expense. Public spending per capita is significantly lower in England, as is the quality of public services. I firmly believe that the Scot Nats actually do not want full independence, they merely want to get as much money out of the English as possible. The Prime Minister and Cabinet should cease making concessions, and move immediately to restore English votes for English laws. There should be a separate Assembly for England, which would ensure proper representation for the English and undo the decades-long over-representation of the other UK countries
July 14, 2021
Pieter C. Quite right and seconded.
July 14, 2021
I see that Johnson is on the back foot over racism.
No wonder the leftā¦aided by the stupid tories was ramping, ramping, ramping it up post match.
Probably generating it too! Shills and all that.
That is what happens when you pander to Marxism!!
July 14, 2021
They’ll be having a chat in the cabinet to assess if its okay to ‘take the knee’ and who will volunteer
The cabinet is full of closet marxists
July 14, 2021
a useless gesture resulting in muddy knees and a suggestion that you are submitting to ….what exactly?
July 14, 2021
The BBC fixation with racism has completely overshadowed the great work of the English team. You’d think Marcus Rashford had been murdered by the news and the shrine.
(During the tournament white people in Europe and the UK WERE being murdered !)
July 15, 2021
A tribute to a living man – who only does good and who brings joy – by a living artist has been desecrated.
That’s rather more serious than a statue of a dead man whom hardly anybody knew these days – who brought untold suffering – by a dead sculptor being dumped in a harbour, I think.
You seem to stand all this on its head.
July 16, 2021
Martin, did you read that the Manchester police as now saying that ‘Vandalism that was sprayed on a mural of Marcus Rashford is “not believed to be of a racial nature.
Greater Manchester Police said officers were examining CCTV from the area and forensic evidence from the spray paint used.”
July 16, 2021
My source by the way is the bbc.
July 16, 2021
Yes, correct.
In what way has that a bearing on my post?
July 14, 2021
Today we read the Scottish First Minister, The Welsh First Minister along with the Mayor of London have all stated that the requirements of the UK Prime Minister on face coverings and Covid carry no authority in their domains.
So as much as their are other questions about the Union, what authority does the UK Prime Minister have inside the UK when his UK Cabinet Ministers along with himself are sidelined when it comes to running the Country.
Just as the PM couldn’t secure our disengagement from the laws and rules of EU inside the UK. Just as the PM was powerless to secure UK territorial waters. Just as the PM is powerless to stop the EU from tearing NI out of the UK. The PM is powerless in the UK at large, is that why he sticks to ‘grand standing’ and ‘virtue signaling’ as he is not permitted to run the UK. A crippled lame duck PM that only has himself to blame.
We need an election and a proper Conservative PM and Government – to many lame duck, limp individuals that don’t command respect so don’t have the authority to move the Country on. The UK hasn’t seen a Conservative Government now for more than 30 years, that simple fact could be the illustration on why we have had 30years of decline. The UK is moving onto now the 2nd generation of people that have never known freedom or personal responsibility.
July 14, 2021
So according to social media, the news channels, the HoCs and senior Tories I am racist for being born whiteā¦.should I start looking to support a right wing party ā oh I canāt because there arenāt anyā¦there all woke
July 14, 2021
Existing ones ( fake opposition) uber woke and extinct non woke ones dispatched by liblabcon!
July 14, 2021
Thank you for trying Sir John. I hope that you had some support, but I am not optimistic. A UK government has once again decided that it can safely treat the English as doormats. We expect nothing better from Labour. From the Conservatives though it is a massive (and pointless) betrayal. The answer to your question “who speaks for England?” Is clear – no Party represented in the Westminster Parliament.
I will be making a donation to the SNP and, at the next election, the front runner standing against Michael Gove.
July 14, 2021
Good try Sir John. How I wish you had offered a solution, the only solution. A parliament for England.
July 14, 2021
+1
July 14, 2021
Dom Cummings tweets about Boris having no clue why he is in Downing St except to enjoy himself ring true…
July 14, 2021
Keep it up John, they are not yet listening but they may come round in the end when the population as a whole start kicking up about subsidising all the other elements/Parliaments of the UK
July 14, 2021
As long as England is asking for its own Parliament, why don’t we ask for our own Monarchy, our own Church and our own Bank of England at the same time? It would make about as much sense.
July 15, 2021
Why did it makes sense for Scotland and Wales to ask for their own parliaments then? Should those parliaments be abolished?
July 14, 2021
A politically fair electoral system would be one in which every vote counted instead of one in which only a third of votes count. I’m sick of reading Tory supporters moaning that the current government doesn’t represent them; then they produce a long list of leaders who are or were duds without realising that their party is a dud and well past its sell by date.
July 14, 2021
Well done Brandon Lewis with one stroke you have succeeded for the first time in uniting the whole political spectrum in NI.
July 14, 2021
Typical Tory solution to obesity.
OK.
So tax everyone on sugary stuff -even those who eat it in moderation.
And then DON’T reward those who eat greens.
Basically, spank those doing the right things, yet again.
People are obese because the condition has become so normalised that it is now normal and healthy is now abnormal and actually frowned upon socially. As a healthily weighted person I am often called ‘skinny’ yet I’d be sacked if I called someone fat.
July 15, 2021
A powerful speech and the Government ought to think afresh about its betrayal of England.
As for Government’s approach to the Union including “…and to stop appeasing those who would pull it apart” I regret I do not feel appeased at present. All the Government’s efforts in that regard seem directed at surrendering to ever more outrageous demands from the SNP.
No-one ever provides a satisfactory answer to why we should remain in a union with Scotland. Under SNP rule Scotland has obtained many if not all of the nasty characteristics of a one party state so it is less than clear why association with it is appropriate. If we are to have a failed state on our northern border, let us at least save the c.Ā£15 billion a year subsidy, shun all responsibility, and give ourselves the right to control movement across the border.
July 15, 2021
Perhaps a silver lining is that there can now be a push for proper devolution. The English MPs approach had the virtue of not requiring a new cohort of politicians, but the disadvantage that it played to the āWestminster is an English Parliamentā narrative of some trying to sow division.
We will not roll back devolution in Scotland, but we can create a better system with further devolution. R-M made a good point about the Shetland Islands. And England does need control of its own policies in education, planning, etc.
I suggest a maximum of 100 members are needed. The interesting angle is that some Whitehall departments would stop being run by a cabinet chosen by the Westminster Parliament, and would fall within a devolved English administration. Perhaps England would be better served by creating new departments, rather than inheriting the flaws of Whitehall ālegacy systemsā (and Sir Humphrey).
July 15, 2021
Why a maximum of 100 James, England is 7-8 times the size of Scotland and they have 129 – it is a massive cost with no equivalent reduction in Country Council type councillors they still have 1,227 elected councillors. Most of Scotland’s 32 modern unitary council areas elect a Provost, who, alongside ceremonial duties similar to mayors in other countries, also acts as convener of the council.
July 15, 2021
I see Scotland has abolished charges for teaching music instruments to children in schools.
Yet another fee the English have to pay while subsidising others to avoid it.
July 15, 2021
All the rescinding of English votes for English Laws will achieve is greater demand for an English Parliament, completely free from interference by Scots, Welsh and NI MPs.
And that is certainly one of the main issues on which my vote at the next General Election will hinge.