No surprises.
Scottish Labour have a report out, called: “Change is what we do”
Wendy certainly knows how to open with a gag.
We in the Labour Party have been fortunate to live in a time when politics in the English-speaking world have been dominated by three of the most gifted politicians of the centre-left – Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown.
The report is available in pdf form here.
I’ve only skimmed through it so far, but it hints at limitations on the Scottish Parliament as well as promoting English regions:
The other important United Kingdom question at stake here is that for those committed to progressive politics across the whole country, the issue is how to allocate spending in a way that assesses need properly, is fair to all parts of the United Kingdom, and does not penalise the poor. By definition, these questions have wider implications than just for Scotland. So it is entirely right that a United Kingdom voice is heard on these matters. The Union has something for all its constituent nations – the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland – and for England too. It is not for me, as leader of Scottish Labour MSPs, to dictate changes, but I do say to Scots that we should support and welcome greater local and regional decentralisation in England, allowing voices in different parts of England to be heard on their issues, just as we have sought that for ourselves. This may be something on which the Commission will have thoughts to offer. But the so-called English question is properly for UK colleagues to consider. And we must resist Nationalists of whatever provenance fanning any English resentment for partisan reasons.
Expect a big push on the English regions soon.
Word is the Scottish Labour party could be headed for some internal strife. Wendy’s dodgy donation won’t win her many new supporters – she has the air of an arrogant and corrupt politician (like Blair, Brown, and Clinton – whaddya know!) refusing to give in to the inevitable.
Now, the push for the English regions – I can’t see it being a democratic initiative as before, there’s no way they’re about to repeat another failed referendum. I see the following – an attempt to lock the nationalists in Scotland and Wales into a process in which responsibility is devolved (on taxation) but ultimate soveriengty of the British state is reinforced. So, some things handed back in return for taxation, etc?
Of course Labours pushing for regions, the bastards are shitting themselves because English nationalism is on the rise and they fear that they’ll never hold power again if they can’t divide off their little kingdoms from the greater whole. An English parliament when it happens or indeed even a federal UK would have England dominating the rest of the UK and probably a Tory England too. Labour are going all out to prevent this even promoting the regional ideas against the wishes of the people of England.
It will all end in tears for them or indeed any party who cares not to listen and take into account the wishes of the majority English people of the UK.
I’m not sure if we can say that England would even probably be Tory-dominated – “no overall control” might be a greater probability, with the kind of coalitionism we’re seeing in Scotland at the moment. I guess it could depend on wether more Labour or Tory voters die/aren’t mobilised in future elections. Let’s not forget that the Tories are just as opposed to an English parliament as Labour – it’s the Conservative and Unionist Party after all, and they know what would end the Union…
English regions dominated by the tories would that be the same tories who’s leader said in part of his speech to the scottish tories “I don’t want to be the prime minister of ‘ENGLAND’ (as did the leader of the lib dems) well in the words of that Irish peace loving man of the cloth
“never never never”
I cannot remember any ‘English’ nationalist being asked do they want any of the three main party quislings to govern ‘ENGLAND’ and I don’t believe we would have them they all stink of EUssr anti-Englishness
Daveb06, I like that you describe Ian Paisley as Irish, he’d go apeshit if you said it to his face! On his nationality, Paisley says he’s a “Britisher”…