Correspondence with Philip Dunne MP

Edward Higginbottom, co-ordinator of Shropshire branch of the CEP, has had what appears to be meaningful discussion on the subject of English devolution with Conservative MP for Ludlow, Philip Dunne.

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

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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

A startling discovery?

Phillip Dunne, the Tory MP for Ludlow in Shropshire, is demanding that the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) come clean about plans to revalue houses in England for council tax.

Mr Dunne has "discovered" that the VOA has been training up valuers and has been covertly inspecting and cataloguing properties in England for valuation purposes. Presumably he doesn't have a subscription to the Torygraph because they made a big thing of it back in 2007 and it was old news then.

The VOA is part of HM Revenue & Customs which is itself a part of the Treasury, the government department run by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and yep, you've guess it, the VOA has no involvement in valuations in Alistair Darling's constituency. The VOA only operates in England and Wales and although a revaluation of Welsh homes has already taken place, the Welsh government uses public money to subsidise council tax bills, effectively capping them.

So, will Mr Dunne be drawing any of this to the attention of his constituents? Will he point out the unfairness of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, elected in Scotland, running the VOA even though the people affected by the decisions taken by the VOA can't hold him to account for his department's actions through the ballot box? Will he be drawing attention to the fact that the Welsh government is using English money to subsidise Welsh council tax bills while the British government sits back and watches English council tax demands increase by 3 or 4 times the rate of inflation? Will he point out to his constituents that an English Parliament would have the same ability to cushion English council tax payers from the increasing demands of public expenditure in the same was the Welsh government does now for Welsh council tax payers?

Perhaps he's changed his mind in the four years since he told CEP Shropshire chairman, Edward Higginbottom, that he prefered the unworkable English Votes on English Laws proposal his party has put forward than the English Parliament that the majority of English people want but I doubt it. Turkeys don't vote for Christmas after all.

Which Shropshire candidates support an English Parliament?

Shrewsbury & Atcham
Conservative candidate, Daniel Kawczynski, didn't respond to our enquiry but from past correspondence, supports English Votes on English Laws but opposes an English Parliament.

Green candidate, Alan Whittaker, couldn't be contacted (email address on his website incorrect).

Labour candidate, Jon Tandy, is "very busy and may not have time to respond". He didn't respond.

Lib Dem candidate, Dr Charles West, wants to stop MPs from Scotland, Wales and NI voting on English laws. Doesn't support an English Parliament but says he is open to being convinced.

UKIP candidate, Peter Lewis, believes the current system is unfair but is concerned that an English Parliament would overshadow Westminster and that there would be too much overlap between the two parliaments.  Supports abolishing devolved executives and having British MPs form "devolved" parliaments for all four home nations on a part-time basis.  Acknowledges that Scots would probably not support this.

BNP candidate, James Whittall, is committed to the principle of an English Parliament and believes that it is unfair that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have a devolved parliament when England does not.

Impact Party candidate, James Gollins, didn't respond to our email.

Telford
Conservative candidate, Tom Biggins, failed to return calls or respond to emails

Labour candidate, David Wright, didn't respond to our enquiry but from past correspondence, opposes an English Parliament.

Lib Dem candidate, Phil Bennion, supports devolution for England and can see the logic behind an English Parliament although he has concerns that England's size will diminish the union. He suggests an alternative of English and English/Welsh days in the British parliament. Would like the incoming British government to produce a green paper on tidying up UK devolution.

UKIP candidate, Councillor Denis Allen, supports a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as the Scottish Parliament.

BNP candidate, Phil Spencer, is committed to the principle of an English Parliament and believes that it is unfair that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have a devolved parliament when England does not.

North Shropshire
Conservative candidate, Owen Paterson, didn't respond to our enquiry but from past correspondence, supports English Votes on English Laws but opposes an English Parliament.

Green candidate, Steve Boulding, hasn't responded.

Labour candidate, Ian McLaughlan, doesn't support an English Parliament because he doesn't think people want an extra layer of politicians and because of the cost which he believes would be high.  He would, however, support select committees of MPs elected in England dealing with English matters.

Lib Dem candidate, Ian Croll, agrees that the English should control their own legislation but doesn't specifically mention an English Parliament.

UKIP candidate, Sandra List, agrees that the current situation is wrong but was on her way to a meeting and couldn't give a longer answer. Says she will provide a longer answer by email (check back for response).

BNP candidate, Phil Reddall, is committed to the principle of an English Parliament and believes that it is unfair that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have a devolved parliament when England does not.

South Shropshire (Ludlow)
Conservative candidate, Philip Dunne, didn't respond to our enquiry but from past correspondence, supports English Votes on English Laws but opposes an English Parliament.

Green candidate, Jacquie Morrish, hasn't responded.

Labour candidate, Anthony Hunt, hasn't responded.

Lib Dem candidate, Heather Kidd, believes the English need their own representation. Didn't respond to a request to clarify whether this might involve an English Parliament.

UKIP candidate, Chris Gill, supports an English Parliament and made a submission to a Commission into the future of the House of Lords suggesting that it be reformed into a federal British parliament and the House of Commons turned into a devolved English Parliament when he was Conservative MP for South Shropshire.

BNP candidate, Christina Evans, is committed to the principle of an English Parliament and believes that it is unfair that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have a devolved parliament when England does not.

Monster Raving Loony Party candidate, Alan Powell, didn't respond to our email.

Wrekin
Conservative candidate, Mark Pritchard, didn't respond to our enquiry but from past correspondence, supports English Votes on English Laws but opposes an English Parliament.

Labour candidate, Paul Kalinauskas, supports a devolved English Parliament although he does have some concerns that it might threaten the union. Of the opinion that Westminster is probably irrevocably tainted with distrust and seems remote from voters, unlike the Welsh Assembly.

Lib Dem candidate, Ali Cameron-Daw, hasn't responded.

UKIP candidate, Malcolm Hurst, supports an English Parliament if devolution continues but would prefer to return to one UK government. Points out that under the EU, England does not exist and has been replaced with 9 regions.

BNP candidate, Susan Harwood, is committed to the principle of an English Parliament and believes that it is unfair that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have a devolved parliament when England does not.

Tories won't be boycotting regional grand committee after all

The Tories and the Lib Dems both pledged to boycott Gordon Brown's regional grand committees so I called the offices of the five Shropshire MPs over the last couple of days to ask if they would be attending the regional grand committee in Smethwick on Thursday.

• Daniel Kawczynski will definitely not be attending the meeting, approves of the Tory boycott and opposes regionalisation.
• Owen Paterson is giving a speech to the Tory Party conference and won't be attending the committee.
• Mark Pritchard's secretary in his constituency office doesn't have access to his diary and his Westminster office has yet to reply to an email.
• David Wright has yet to return my call (although he has been sending me Twitter messages all day).
• Philip Dunne will be attending the committee as he has been instructed to attend by the party whip.

Tory Party conference follower and English Parliament supporting blogger, Man in a Shed, put the following update on Twitter today:

Abolishing Labour's regional government gets the loudest clap so far

How much applause would the announcement have got if the delegates knew that the whips were ordering their shadow cabinet members to attend regional grand committees despite a public pledge to boycott them?

MPs on English prison officer discrimination

I wrote to our five Shropshire MPs a fortnight ago asking the following question:

Dear MP,

You have all had correspondence from the Shropshire branch of the Campaign for an English Parliament and from myself personally in the past.

The Shropshire branch of the CEP has a blog at http://cepshropshire.blogspot.com and I intend to write to all the Shropshire MPs on behalf of our members from time to time when notable examples of anti-English discrimination come to light for comment which I will then post on the aforementioned blog. Obviously, if no response is forthcoming then I will have to note that fact on the blog.

How about we start with today’s announcement that MPs have voted overwhelmingly to remove the right of English and Welsh prison officers to strike on the same day that the Scottish Executive announced that it had no intention whatsoever to remove the same right from Scottish prison officers. Could you please tell me how you voted, whether you brought up the fact that English prison officers are being discriminated against and what your opinion is on the discrimination.

Stuart Parr
CEP Shropshire

Mark Pritchard replied very quickly with the following:

There is a democratic deficit at present. This has to change. It is the Labour government who have brought this about - not the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party is committed to the Union - and that is why David Cameron MP is right to examine the issue of establishing an English Grand Committee - allowing English Mps to vote on those matters that effect English constituencies only. Creating an English Parliament would be costly, would create a new layer of politicians and civil servants, and would fracture the Union even further.

Mark Pritchard MP

Daniel Kawczynski replied with the following:

Stuart

This vote was a very difficult decision for me. I was not going to vote to remove the right of English and Welsh prison officers to strike. I believe in peoples' rights and am against the State being able to curtail peoples rights and liberties. Being able to strike is an important right. I changed my mind at the last minute as colleagues convinced me that the ramifications on society from a prolonged strike of prison wardens would be dire. The Labour government only gave them the right a few years ago as a ban had been in place for a long time. They now decided to change that legislation and re-introduce the ban.

Let me have your thoughts on this if you would please. I am raising the West Lothian Question a lot as are my colleagues. The scandal of the ever growing differences between the two of us is unsustainable.

Daniel

Philip Dunne, Owen Patterson and David Wright all failed to respond.