If you want England to have its own voice and home rule please write to your own MP asking them to speak for England. You could also copy in BBC News.
38 Comments
Comments are closed.
If you want England to have its own voice and home rule please write to your own MP asking them to speak for England. You could also copy in BBC News.
Comments are closed.
September 12, 2014
I have every intention of doing just that JR. I’ve been ‘keeping my powder dry’ until after the Scottish referendum is settled.
September 12, 2014
Tad difficult when your Westminster is Scottish!!!
September 13, 2014
Yes indeed. My man in SW1 is Plain old Bob Smith, the MP for Aberdeenshire, or at least that’s how he likes to be seen in public. You know the sort of thing, a man of the people wearing a soiled Gannex overcoat drinking a mug of tea on the doorstep while campaigning out in the crofts. His mysterious alter ego is Sir Robert Smith, Bt, heir to a rather large Scottish estate. Hence his passion for wind power and all things green and subsidised. My views are diametrically opposed to his on almost every major issue so there’s no point in me contacting him. If I asked him to speak for England (or Wales for that matter) I can imagine he might say something rather rude.
September 12, 2014
It shall be done (though my MP is a LibDem, so this will be a major triumph of hope over experience).
September 12, 2014
It shall be done (though as my MP is a LibDem this will be a major triumph of hope over experience).
September 12, 2014
Will think about this when we have yes or no.
September 12, 2014
Keep it up John, your time has come and believe me people are listening, have an opinion on this and are respecting you as a man of honour. Please don’t drop the ball on this one, it has legs and it needs resolving. I’ve even had my children expressing an opinion on this – actually calling me to discuss it because they’re getting cross about the party leaders selling us out. So even if they vote no we’re no longer united thanks to their stupid deals.
September 13, 2014
I just saw this blog entry by Dan Hodges, an ardent left winger who is strongly critical of his party’s current leadership and direction (or lack thereof). It’s interesting that he feels the Labour party is pretty much damned whatever the outcome of the referendum. We can but hope!
blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100286169/ed-miliband-and-gordon-brown-havent-saved-the-union-but-they-may-have-killed-the-labour-party/
September 13, 2014
I will, but it will make no difference, even if tens of millions write. The English will continue to be ignorred. The Libdems (that we have beed saddled with) do not even support fair boundaries for the English. The new political system will surely be stitched up by Labour, post May 2015.
The BBC too has an agenda and it certainly does not respond to licence fee payers. Esentionally pro EU, left wing, anti democratic, fake green drivel & subsidy, big government, state sector, even higher tax think What say to licance fee payers get in appointing the Trust or Director General? Who on earth would have ever chosen Lord Patton & Lord Hall types? Other than Cameron that is?
Unless that is Cameron can actually bring himself to represent the English and the rest of the UK properly for a change. This, rather than acting heart and soul for the EU, suppresion (and hugely over taxing) of the English and resisting referendums at every oportunity. The only referendum we got from Cast Iron was the silly one on transferable votes for the Libdems just to gain him the position of PM.
Cameron, rather amazingly, could still win the elction outright. This by dramatically moving to a more EU sceptic, pro English voice, low tax, small government, business friendly, anti pointless wars position. Alas it seems his heart and soul would rather lose a second election.
September 13, 2014
The probablilty of an overall Tory Majority seems to have fallen further, from 13% to 11%. Why is Cameron so determined to throw this second electon?
September 13, 2014
Trouble ahead, perhaps ?
September 13, 2014
“Why is Cameron so determined to throw this second election?”
For the very same reason he was not too bothered about the last result.
It doesn’t matter one jot who is in the driving seat when three quarters of the laws/legislation, call it what you like, are not originated here in the UK, to the approval of the British electorate, but come as Directives from else where.
They must think the people are stupid not to see through this undemocratic scam.
All we do every five years is change the Captain on the EU ‘Good-ship GB’.
September 14, 2014
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step
September 13, 2014
I did that – to Ed Vaisey, some time ago. I asked if he supported the idea of an English parliament. He didn’t reply.
September 14, 2014
If you are able to travel there perhaps you could go to central lobby at the Palace of Westminster and request to meet your MP.
I did this 5 years ago so I don’t know if the process has changed; you fill out a card stating the reasons for your request, (eg “lobbying for an English Parliament”) and the officials will look for the MP or contact their office. You have to wait in the lobby until called but if the request is not successful the card will be sent to your MP and he should then respond directly to you. If he doesn’t you then have a route of complaint.
Reply Still true. It is better to give advance warning so you can be given an appointment time.
September 13, 2014
I have done so and have reproduced my letter in the previous article. Scroll to the bottom.
You can go here : https://www.writetothem.com/
As an aside, our kind host mentioned the wonders of technology in terms of communication. It would be wonderful if we ALL could use it in the way he would like over this issue.
September 13, 2014
My MP is Welsh, in Wales. Not sure how he would take the idea.
September 13, 2014
Your proposal is sound enough but alas my only mail ever to an MP (being that I sent in mid-August seeking assurance that he endorsed your views on intervention in Iraq) has received no response at all. I am likely to reciprocate in kind when calls to re-elect are made.
My MP (one of your Conservative colleagues) may suppose I am of no consequence and can be ignored. Until recently I would have had to agree with him but the other day I saw you described (obviously I knew who you are) on a newspaper website as a Tory grandee. The great import of that, clearly, as I realized at once, is that in consequence I am not nobody but the occasional poster of comments on a grandee’s blog! I will not disclose that to my MP lest he is overcome by such shame as to cause an unlooked for by-election. It would serve him right though.
September 13, 2014
Done. (Though I can’t see what the BBC would make of me writing to them)
September 13, 2014
I got fed up a writing and getting nowhere, I resigned from the Cameron Conservative party, they didn’t give a dammed when I wrote to them, and they didn’t give a dammed when I resigned.
September 13, 2014
I have written to my MP on the matter. Unfortunately he is a Lib Dum and support’s his party line on devolution at local level. When asked on the matter of his Scottish colleagues voting on English only matters – no comment.
At least I got a reply though which is more than I got from Cameron. I sent him three letters in 2010 asking him what he proposes to do about the English Question. I am still waiting for a reply.
September 13, 2014
As you are my MP please continue to speak up for Engand as well as the UK in the broader context and continue doing what youv’e been doing.
I don’t view the BBC as useful part of the political process anymore. Being instructed on party propaganda does’t cutit. Your blog provides a much more valuable resource as it encourages interactive discussion and offers a such wide range of views. The party sites are not much help as all I get is demands to sign petitions and to buy raffle tickets but never any attempt to engage in dialog.
The Scottish referendum has opened a Pandora’s box and it will be interesting to see how all the parties deal with the new reality of English devolution, if they don’t try to suppress it.
September 13, 2014
John, I have written to my MP in strong terms on this very subject on several occasions, but another email certainly won’t hurt and, you never know, it might just be the one that wears him down.
I have also written to him repeatedly on bias, and the undue influence the EU purchases via “soft loans” to the BBC, but if you think it would help, I’ll copy the BBC in.
Without being patronising, I can see that commentators on your blog appear to be what an insurance salesman might term “centres of influence”. I agree that writing to our MPs is important, but without being too much of a political bore, I think that the influence we all have day to day – on friends, family and others we come into contact with – is important too.
It’s surprising these days just how many people I stand next to in the supermarket queue, or sit next to in the pub or the doctor’s surgery, want to talk about the state of the country. They know something is wrong and they are worried, but they often don’t seem to have any idea about how to put it right. I always ask if they vote or are registered to vote. I also stress that the future of our country is in our hands, and I always say that I write regularly to my MP because he works for me, I pay his wages, and it makes me feel I am doing something for my family (let alone helping me offload the utter frustration and anger I often feel!). I always try to alert them to the bias and malign influences of the media (the BBC in particular and the way the EU buys its influence – this often comes as a shock). Well John, if they haven’t gone to sleep by then, I go on about talking to friends and family and not being afraid to express our views in whatever way is natural to us, whilst maintaining civility and respect.
John, on another topic, I’ve read your views about Douglas Carswell and, of course I respect your right to air them. However, and I know you might not like this, I must express my disappointment in what I’ve interpreted to be a veiled and desperate attempt by Michael Gove to bring down the unpatriotic wrath of Labour and the LibDems onto a “conservative” type like Carswell. Surely, if there is to be an alliance, the natural conservative ally has to be the “swivell-eyed right”. I must stress that I had great respect for Michael Gove in his previous role in education but, in trying to drag us to the overcrowded left, he has, in my opinion, definitely gone off the rails, so I think that a gentle woman-to-woman note to Sarah Vine via the Daily Mail might be in order! Yes John, the personal touch is so very important – she might be able to influence him 🙂 .
September 13, 2014
I have read a lot about why people will not or should not. But as someone here said recently (sorry I forgot who it was), the squeakiest wheel gets the most oil.
September 13, 2014
As you are my M P, John, I am glad to see you are on the case. I have thought for a long time that our party was a bit too obsessed with Europe whilst ignoring the democratic deficiency in our own country. It wasn’t Europe that gave us the coalition, it was Labour’s Scottish M Ps.
September 13, 2014
Hi John,
If you were my local MP I would vote for you because of your stance on this issue. I have written to my MP, Sir George Young, on many occasions about an English parliament and he eventually promised that the Conservatives would offer EVoEL which I feel was another broken promise. As you know he stands down at the next election and I have no idea what the prospective candidate is offering. I suspect he will just be another one of the whips fodder and will do what he is told.
September 13, 2014
If there is a Yes vote, the Scottish MPs at Westminster will eventually be unseated. That will leave only a few MPs not representing English constituencies. I have no problem with Welsh MPs voting on English issues (I would have one if the likes of Gerry Adams ever took their seats, but there’s no danger of that happening), since “England” still has a major voice on Welsh policies. Therefore, I shall not be writing to my MP, even though Finchley & Golders Green is represented by a Tory.
September 14, 2014
” I have no problem with Welsh MPs voting on English issues ”
“England” still has a major voice on Welsh policies. ”
MP’s with English seats only have a say on policies affecting Wales when they affect the UK, not just Wales. MPs with English seats do not have a say on Welsh domestic policies which have been devolved to the Welsh Assembly whereas MPs with Welsh seats do have a say on English only policies such as English health and English education whilst bizarrely MPs with Welsh seats having absolutely no say whatsoever on Welsh health and Welsh education or any devolved issues. In other words, just like the Scots & NI MPs, they have far more say on English policies than they do on policies affecting their own constituents. The reverse is not true of English constituency MPs. Surely you can see that is wrong, undemocratic and totally unfair to the people of England and must be addressed by an English Parliament where NO MPs elected outside of England can interfere in English only matters, Welsh MPs included.
September 14, 2014
If the vote is no then Scotland gets far more control over their affairs but the rest of us will have to pay for it.
An English Parliament is worth pursuing ragrdless of whether Scotland votes yes or no, but especially if they vote no.
September 13, 2014
I’m going to, I believe in equality.
Tad
September 13, 2014
I shall write, not that my (NeoConservative) MP will take any notice.
Well done for championing this cause.
September 13, 2014
Mine’s an SNP MP in Scotland, so asking him to speak for England would be … interesting. To be fair, though, his party does apparently have a policy of abstaining on English issues already – which, if made law (as I think JR proposed in an earlier post as a transitional measure if Scotland does vote “yes” next week) would largely resolve the problem anyway.
September 14, 2014
James, it’s a total myth that the SNP abstain on English only issues. Check the records. They voted on the tripling of tuition fees for England’s kids using the good old Barnett consequentials as an excuse for doing so. The SNP only abstain when it suits them.
September 14, 2014
You already speak for me 🙂
Carry on the good work…
All I want is English MPs voting on English matters.
And, if the Scots vote NO then as part of the DevoMax appeasement no further vote on Scottish independence for at least 15 years. If the specter of independence is going to reappear every few years, then may be best to get it done and dusted now.
September 18, 2014
I heard John Redwood on the radio and it is brilliant to see a politician in the party of government speaking out on this. For the record I do not agree with John Redwood’s political beliefs per se but do agree with how he sees politics should being exercised in the UK. I am for fairness, I am for giving every part of the UK their fair share. However, we do not have a fair system, we have a system that has been engineered to keep the smaller parts of the UK on side for one political reason or another at the expense of England. I do not agree with regional assemblies as we have local government already and creating something akin to self governing Greek city states seems a step back. John Redwood is correct to create a federal system, otherwise it will generate resentment across the rest of the UK. If 9% of the UK population get preferential treatment there is no fairness in that. In the 2015 election this will be the key issue when deciding who to vote. I look forward to campaigning for an English parliament.
September 18, 2014
Further to my previous message, I do seriously think that having spoken to colleagues and friends, when they actually find out how funding is allocated and how powers are devolved they immediately realise how unfair it is. I think John Redwood needs to get his message out to those who, like in Scotland never knew about or followed politics but did engage with independence, he could have a serious political movement. This is especially true if he avoids making his case on party political lines he could be the English Alex Salmond – I mean that in a favourable way, if that is possible.
September 20, 2014
Good replies in return of this matter with firm arguments and telling the whole thing about that.
September 23, 2014
Hello John.
I totally agree that the English should have their own parliament, why on earth should the Scots vote on English matters when the English cannot vote on Scottish matters, as the saying goes, ‘What’s good for the goose is good for the gander’.
What a pity that the Jocks didn’t vote YES, we would be rid of their constant whinging and anti English bile for good.
Are we going to be having these sort of ‘Scottish independence moans’ every 10 or so years, it would have been far better for them to have gone now and have done with it. Who is going to be paying for this ‘Scotland only affair’ I wonder? Will it be yet again the muggins ‘British tax payer’ coughing up the money to pay for this farce? Well it shouldn’t be, after all, the English, Welsh and NI tax payer never had any say or vote in this Scotland only issue, so it should only be right and proper that the Scottish tax payer should pay for this charade, why should others end up paying for something they had no say in?
I would dare say that if the English could have had a vote on Scottish independence, then Scotland would indeed be ‘free’ now, and good riddance.