Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, has been talking about the problems experienced in Shropshire since Welsh devolution.
One of his points is about the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital losing £2m per year treating Welsh patients because the Welsh Assembly pays a fraction of the price of treating them while they also get superior treatment and drugs.
It all sounds kind of ... familiar. Kind of like this and this and some of the comments on other English nationalist blogs. Perhaps Mr Kazywinkiskiskiski has been doing his research?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
correspondence with MP re Government of Wales Bill
From Owen Paterson MP
Thank you for your letter of 10th January. As I said in my last letter, I made it clear in the summer that it is wrong that the referendum excluded 85% of the population and I believe there should be an all UK referendum on the issue of abolishing the existing devolution settlement and replacing it with real genuine devolution to county units.
There is a parliamentary convention which prevents me from taking on the case of another MP's constituent. I therefore hope you will continue to communicate with your own MP on this issue.
and my response:
Dear Owen,
Government of Wales Bill
Many thanks for you letter dated 12th January. You are by far and away the most efficient Shropshire MP in dealing with your correspondence, wanted or not.
I fully appreciate that MPs do not desire to be dealing with non-constituents but I believe that the whole question of devolution is so important it transcends constituency boundaries. We are talking about the very survival of England and its people.
If all the MPs representing English constituencies cannot reverse the hotchpotch that is devolution then it is incumbent on them to see England is fairly and equitably treated. It cannot be right that your constituents are effectively treated as third class citizens within the, so-called, United Kingdom.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
p.s. I do not expect a reply to this letter.
Thank you for your letter of 10th January. As I said in my last letter, I made it clear in the summer that it is wrong that the referendum excluded 85% of the population and I believe there should be an all UK referendum on the issue of abolishing the existing devolution settlement and replacing it with real genuine devolution to county units.
There is a parliamentary convention which prevents me from taking on the case of another MP's constituent. I therefore hope you will continue to communicate with your own MP on this issue.
and my response:
Dear Owen,
Government of Wales Bill
Many thanks for you letter dated 12th January. You are by far and away the most efficient Shropshire MP in dealing with your correspondence, wanted or not.
I fully appreciate that MPs do not desire to be dealing with non-constituents but I believe that the whole question of devolution is so important it transcends constituency boundaries. We are talking about the very survival of England and its people.
If all the MPs representing English constituencies cannot reverse the hotchpotch that is devolution then it is incumbent on them to see England is fairly and equitably treated. It cannot be right that your constituents are effectively treated as third class citizens within the, so-called, United Kingdom.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
p.s. I do not expect a reply to this letter.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Letter to Shropshire MPs re Government of Wales Bill
Government of Wales Bill
The GWB is currently before Parliament and the intention is to transfer law making powers to the Welsh National Assembly.
This is another blatant action by the anti-English Labour Government to hand out special privileges to the periphery countries of the United Kingdom. No doubt the Government will use its Scottish MPs, if necessary, to force the legislation into law.
It proposes another referendum in Wales on the question of devolution but there is yet to be any such consultation with the oppressed English peoples.
The GWB will make it even more glaringly obvious just how unfair the devolution system is to England. This is an intolerable situation, for the people of England are clearly only third class citizens within the dis-United Kingdom.
.
When the GWB becomes law, it will leave the UK Parliament with little other than to govern England. Downsizing of the UK Parliament and/or a reduction in the remuneration to MPs would therefore seem appropriate.
As the elected representative of an English constituency I hope that you, and your colleagues, will take this opportunity to ensure equanimity of treatment for England in line with that handed out to the Celtic fringes.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
The GWB is currently before Parliament and the intention is to transfer law making powers to the Welsh National Assembly.
This is another blatant action by the anti-English Labour Government to hand out special privileges to the periphery countries of the United Kingdom. No doubt the Government will use its Scottish MPs, if necessary, to force the legislation into law.
It proposes another referendum in Wales on the question of devolution but there is yet to be any such consultation with the oppressed English peoples.
The GWB will make it even more glaringly obvious just how unfair the devolution system is to England. This is an intolerable situation, for the people of England are clearly only third class citizens within the dis-United Kingdom.
.
When the GWB becomes law, it will leave the UK Parliament with little other than to govern England. Downsizing of the UK Parliament and/or a reduction in the remuneration to MPs would therefore seem appropriate.
As the elected representative of an English constituency I hope that you, and your colleagues, will take this opportunity to ensure equanimity of treatment for England in line with that handed out to the Celtic fringes.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
Monday, January 09, 2006
Letter to local newspapers re fight for local hospitals
It was good to see that people were out on the streets demonstrating, trying to keep open the local hospitals at Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Whitchurch.
The problem boils down to money or the lack of it, in particular the Shropshire NHS Trust’s debt of some £36 million.
In Scotland of course, they get a better health service than here in England. Better treatment, better drugs, better care for the elderly, amongst other things. This is possible as every single taxpayer in England is, on average, giving the Scottish Parliament a subsidy of something in the order of £280 per year. This is in addition to the subsidies England’s taxpayers are giving to Wales and Northern Ireland. So if Shropshire’s taxpayers’ contribution to Scotland were spent on the local NHS Trust instead there would hardly be a debt to worry about.
If you want your local hospitals to survive I suggest you hound your MP and tell him you want English control of English taxes, an English Parliament to speak up for you and an end of the Barnett formula that financially favours the Celtic fringes of the once United Kingdom.
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
The problem boils down to money or the lack of it, in particular the Shropshire NHS Trust’s debt of some £36 million.
In Scotland of course, they get a better health service than here in England. Better treatment, better drugs, better care for the elderly, amongst other things. This is possible as every single taxpayer in England is, on average, giving the Scottish Parliament a subsidy of something in the order of £280 per year. This is in addition to the subsidies England’s taxpayers are giving to Wales and Northern Ireland. So if Shropshire’s taxpayers’ contribution to Scotland were spent on the local NHS Trust instead there would hardly be a debt to worry about.
If you want your local hospitals to survive I suggest you hound your MP and tell him you want English control of English taxes, an English Parliament to speak up for you and an end of the Barnett formula that financially favours the Celtic fringes of the once United Kingdom.
Edward Higginbottom
Co-ordinator, Shropshire Branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Letter: Shropshire Star
Obsession bypassing our views on merger
Charles Clarke, in a breathtaking display of arrogance and contempt, has vowed to press ahead with merging police forces.
The Home Secretary baa informed police chiefs that he has the power to force through the mergers whether they or the public agree or not.
He has even attempted to entice police forces into complying by offering extra cash if they submitted merger proposals by the deadline.
Not one single force made the deadline and so far few have agreed to a merger.
The Government is obsessed with making things bigger, moving power and decision-making further away from the people.
Everything is about regions - regional fire service, regional ambulance service and now regional police forces.
Not just any regions will do, though. They have to fit in with the regional map of Britain. The regional map of Britain, as per a directive from Brussels, consists of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and nine regions of England.
Each of the nine English regions has a Regional Assembly (RA) which formulates policy and does John Prescott's bidding.
Those who sit on the RA council are appointed by the local authorities in that region - there is no public consultation.
The proposed West Midlands Super force will fit neatlvinto the boundaries of the West Midlands Regional Assembly (aka Advantage West Midlands).
How long will it be until all decisions and services in Shropshire are administered by unelected officials?
Stuart Parr
Telford
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