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.