A common misconception

A John Thornicroft has written a letter to the Shropshire Star in reply to one of Edward's letters questiong the need for an English Parliament.

Parliament for English a bad idea

Though I agree with your correspondent Edward Higginbottom that it is time to end the Barnett formula, whereby the Scots receive more per head than the English and Welsh and that they themselves should pay for the luxuries denied others in the UK.

I cannot see sense in his (and others’) call for an English parliament.

Does he really want to impose an extra layer of bureaucracy and tax on to the already oppressed English household when all that is required is a reduction in the number of Scottish and Welsh Members of Parliament and a prohibition on them voting on English matters.

This will not happen with the present Scottish-dominated Government.

It is up to English voters to make clear their concerns to MPs and prospective candidates from all parties.

If they are too lazy to do this they will get what they deserve.

John Thornicroft, Market Drayton

Mr Thornicroft's concerns seem to revolve around the "extra layer of bureaucracy" an English Parliament would create. This is a very valid concern as bureaucracy costs money and, of course, it is the English taxpayer that pays for all bureaucracy in the UK.

It is, however, a common misconception. What Mr Thornicroft seems to have forgotten about is that an English Parliament would remove in excess of 75% of the workload from the British government. With an English Parliament, there wouldn't need to be 605 MP's sitting in Westminster. An English Parliament wouldn't be an extra layer of bureaucracy, rather a different layer of "bureacracy".

Would it cost more money than the current system? Maybe. But is that a valid reason for accepting the status quo - a system of government that is inherently discriminatory against English people and a British government ruled by the Scottish Raj exercising total control of England? I don't think so and given information on the subject that is spin and propoganda free by people who don't have to try and cover up state discrimination in order to keep their jobs, I think the majority of the English public would agree.