PHILIP DUNNE MP(LUDLOW)
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A OAA
Thank you for your letter of 7th September about the campaign for an English Parliament. I read the points that you make with interest.
It concerns me that this Government's devolution settlement has created imbalances in the British constitution and grievances among the English people. This situation is the result of the failure to resolve the so-called West Lothian question.
Following devolution, Scottish MPs continue to vote on England only matters which in Scotland are now the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament and on which neither English nor Scottish MPs have a corresponding say. In recent times we have seen the Prime Minister use his Scottish MPs to force through unpopular policies on England for which there is no majority among English MPs and which the Scottish Executive has specifically ruled out in Scotland.. Two examples of this phenomenon are the introduction of foundation hospitals and university top-up fees. Since the General Election, we have a situation where the Conservative Opposition gained 60,000 more votes in England than did the Labour Government. This anomaly must be addressed, otherwise the tensions, and resentment created in England by this situation could threaten the United Kingdom itself.
However, I do not believe that the answer to this problem is an English Parliament. This would, in effect, create yet another tier of politicians. Rather, it is my belief that we should seek to use our existing constitutional framework to address the problem. That is why the Conservative Party leader, Michael Howard, has said that following a resolution of the House of Commons, the Speaker should be able to certify Bills, or parts of Bills, as applying only to England or to England and Wales. In such circumstances, Scottish MPs would not be able to vote on them.
I believe that this is a constructive response that respects the reality of devolution and restores symmetry to the constitution, while avoiding the constitutional upheaval of an English Parliament. It is a practical solution that would result in far less additional bureaucracy and red tape than the creation of
a new English Parliament. In my view it will strengthen the unity of the United Kingdom that I, as a Conservative and a Unionist, continue strongly to support.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me on this important issue.
Philip Dunne
MP for Ludlow
Tel: 020 7219 2388
Website: www.philipdunne.com
Dear Philip,
Many thanks for your letter dated 30th September 2005 and apologise, in advance, for the length of my reply on this important issue.
The Campaign for an English Parliament is a non-political organisation that draws support from every political hue of the people who truly care about England.
The CEP accepts that the creation of an English Parliament might break up the United Kingdom however not creating one is just as likely to.
When I was Treasurer of Shrewsbury & Atcham Conservative Association I attended a luncheon days after the passing of the Scottish Parliament Act 1998 at which, the then, Shadow Lord Chancellor told me that in his opinion it would lead to independence for Scotland – a matter of when, not if. Ever since then the leadership of the Party seems to have put on nostalgia enhancing tinted spectacles and gone into denial of the likely course of events.
The Conservative party vehemently opposed devolution but has no plans to reverse the legislation if it ever gets back into power. They may hold another referendum in Scotland on the issue but nobody can seriously think that the Scots are now going to reverse their decision – particularly if it is a Conservative Government that is asking.
In the meantime the people in England are being treated as second class citizens within the United Kingdom. As a member of a political party that espouses the Union how can you justify the inequitable treatment of the majority people? Surely everybody in the UK is entitled to receive the same access and level of services and benefits, and funding.
Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of woolly thinking in the Conservative Party for they do not want to grasp the reality – it is effectively an English party (with 36% of the votes cast in England). It is ‘dead in the water’ in Scotland (only 1 MP out of 59 with 16% of the total vote). It is clinging by the fingernails in Wales (only 3 MPs out of 40 with 21% of the total vote). There is no possibility of a revival in Scotland until the rabid anti-Thatcher element of the Scottish electorate dies out (say about 70 years’ time).
The only realistic hope the Conservatives have of regaining power in the UK is to get an overwhelming number of English seats – which with a corrupt Labour Government gerrymandering the constituency sizes – is quite frankly unlikely. The Party would be better off demanding equal devolution for England where you have your support. Control of an English Parliament is much more probable – after all, England is the only part of the UK that really matters particularly as the taxpayers in England subsidies the socialist utopia of Scotland to the tune of £8billion pounds per year. If they lost that money they might be keen to fully rejoin the UK.
I appreciate that as a ‘new boy’ you cannot go rocking the boat and have to toe the party line, but might I suggest that when one of the, unfortunately, lacklustre candidates are elected as the new Leader you take him on one side and tell him to speak to ordinary electors. If he explains the current debacle over devolution to them I know he will find rapidly growing support for an English Parliament and, sadly, a growing resentment to all things Scottish.
For the sake of the Union the Conservative Party has a duty to ensure delivery of fair and equitable treatment for all parts of the Kingdom otherwise there is likely to be a very acrimonious divorce between the two principal parts.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
2 comments:
Very good letter, and I wish you all good luck in the future.
Thanks Kevin. He writes a good letter does our Edward. :)
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