There is a significant new opinion poll from Ipsos MORI for “British Future”, December 2011 which has recently been published. Its results are based on 2,320 online interviews with people aged 16+ in Great Britain. The fieldwork took place between 30 November to 6 December 2011. This is however a Great Britain wide survey with more than a quarter of the respondents being from Scotland or Wales.
Question 11 of the poll is as follows:-
"Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have had their own parliament or assembly for some years. Members vote on some issues that affect only their respective countries, for example, on issues about health and education.
Issues affecting England can be voted on by all MPs sitting in Westminster. This means that English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs can vote on issues that are only of relevance to England."
Which one of the following do you think should happen?
%
________________________________________________________________
We should keep things as they are - 22
________________________________________________________________
We should set up a new English Parliament to decide on
England-only issues - 51
________________________________________________________________
We should do away with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern
Ireland Parliaments and make all decisions in the UK
Parliament at Westminster - 14
_______________________________________________________________
Don’t know - 13
_______________________________________________________________
I suspect, that if this poll had been within England only, the result would have been closer to 60% supporting an English Parliament - even though its question is phrased in the way likely to achieve the lowest support, by making it about a new English Parliament.
This result would then have been well in line with YouGov’s pre-Christmas poll for 'Prospect Magazine' which showed 63%, of another GB survey, now consider that their National Identity is “English”.
The importance of this latest opinion poll result for us English Democrats, is that more than 50% of England are already in favour of our headline policy - despite the united opposition of almost the whole of the political and of the media class!
I am in favour of an English Parliament. A complete English Parliament with no Irish, Scottish or Welsh MP's in the English Parliament
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you
DeleteRumbled at last Eh ,Robin! Watch them try to own the issue now...
ReplyDeleteAngela, much as i would agree but, how would we exclude candidates born in other Home Countries from being selected as candidates by other parties to stand in an Englsig Parliament constituancy?
ReplyDeleteAn English parliament is needed,English Independance is also needed
ReplyDeleteHere Here ! English Parliament ! and making English MPs accountable
ReplyDeleteif they call themselves british first
Vote them out
Then Vote in someone who puts ENGLAND FIRST !
I find it concerning the 13% do not know. Would love to know why. But as the majority are supportive of having an English Parliament then once that is set in place the don't knows will find good reason to agree it is the correct move forward to have equality with Scotland and Wales. Yes vote here for an English Parliament and one that can tackle the £31billion Whitehall waste reported in the news last week.
ReplyDeleteThe 13% are Polish.
DeleteIt seems to me that Alex Salmond is the one most likely to provide the answer - if he gets his way England will take a leap towards self-rule. Since Westminster has a huge number of Scottish MPs (who currently determine much of the legislation in/for England), there will be a lot of vacant seats as they trot back home. I think the deep debate on Scottish independence has only just begun but as the arguments grow so too will the realisation amongst the English just how much meddling in their affairs is conducted by the other three nations! I can't wait for the Scotts to get independence - bring it on!
ReplyDeleteOver the centuries, the English Parliament progressively limited the power of the English monarchy to that of which we see today. In 1707 came the Act of Union which merged the English Parliament with the Parliament of Scotland to form the Parliament of Great Britain. When the Parliament of Ireland was abolished in 1801, its former members were merged into what was now called the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
ReplyDeleteIt has been over 300 years since England ruled itself. The politics of the union has virtually meant that the english have supported the colonies of Scotland - Wales and England although England has the larger population. The Problem I see with England having its own Parliament again is that for too many years our country has been run by scots & welshmen. These groups have also had the lion share of top influential posts in the media - newpaper industries and the professions. The english meanwhile
(since Thatcher)have been ignored as an ethnic group (we are not of one tribe)! until our Identity has been virtually irradicated and interests submerged. Who knows what having an English Parliament would mean to us now? I would like to think that we can step up to the challenge? I do hope so' ' and not fall into squabbling amongst ourselves again.
from craftsman1666
ReplyDeletethe first thing to do is to bring in legislation to ban the irish, welsh and scottish mps from voting on english affairs, then see how this works and if not go for an entirely english parliament.
what we do not need is another level of bureaucracy and the extra costs that goes with it.
Alex Solomon and David Levita Cameron will be in a right old pickle. The beast is beginning to awake. Once fully roused, the scotch might not get a chance to remain part of the union - at least on the terms they have now.
ReplyDeleteI can hear the sound of pedals turning backwards in Edinburgh's 'parliament' as no English referendum would allow the to stay like spoilt teenagers poncing off their parents.
When Blair introduced devolution he began the break-up of the UK. It has to be all or nothing. I would love to go back to a United Kingdom, but the damage has now been done and I fear the break-up is inevitable.
ReplyDeleteIn the circumstances now prevailing we must have an English Parliament of our own, but I fear even this will only delay the demise of the UK for few years and we will be back to pre 1707 Britain by the time my grandchildren reach maturity.
If only the genuinely English may vote in this new parliament how would the English PROVE their 'Englishness'and have the right to vote?
ReplyDeleteTen generations without intermarried foreign blood perhaps?
They could hold their meetings in a phone box.
I cant wait for the scots to break away.I am getting fed up with all their whinging about the English.Maybe then at long last we can have a all English parliament with only English MP's.I only hope when they break away we dont still keep funding them.They should be totally on their own.English taxes and welfare for England only.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what all the fuss is about.
ReplyDeleteIn 1921 a part of the UK broke away and became independant.Their citizens don't even require a passport to enter the UK.And in fact they had and have a smaller population than Scotland.So what is the issue?
If the Irish Republic could manage it,why shouldn't Scotland or even Wales?
Iceland ceceded from Denmark with no natural resources and a population of 1/4 million.
The UK is just the last outmoded and outdated vestige of the British Empire.
ReplyDeleteIt was great.It was fantastic. It was awesome.
But it has had its day.It should now be consigned to history.
England is evidently the offshore Switzerland.
The Celtic nations should be allowed to get on with their own agenda.Time they grew up etc.
We must look to the future not the past.
Ok then why are we not instigating the Parliamentaty promise to debate any subject that collects 100.000 signatures?
ReplyDeleteIf I knew how to organise this I would do so myself but being an old F*** who does not comprehend much about the modern ideas of organising such a protest I can only appeal to anyone who does to start the ball rolling. It has to be worth a try surely?
It will at least allow those in Parliament with this gripe to air their views on the floor and maybe stir up some indignation in the population as a whole.
Something must be done, otherwise we the English are going to be sidelined again, thats definite!!! Petero
A question raised in this forum is How Would the English prove their Englishness, before the advent of the Web etc; ,for the ordinary person, it would have been a very difficult to obtain factual evidence.
ReplyDeleteThere was only one way that information was passed on through the generations ,that was by word of mouth.
i.e.my father who had served in WW1 Paeschendaele and in the RAF in WW2, said to me in a passing conversation that our families ancestors came from Germany, I could not ask him to explain further,for he had fought and killed so many of Our Ancestors.I then assumed they must have come over with George the first
It was only recently when I accessed the WEB ,that I have realised what he was saying, for on entering the Family name, I was amazed at what was revealed, for it was possible to trace the family back to pre 1066 in ancient times,before the Norman Invasion..and yes we had originated in what is now known as Germany, as Saxons
Also the family tree, reflected the times and experiences of different generations, and there is no record of any intermarrige with other races, as also inferred.
So, if your Parents or Grandparents have said to you that you are English accept it ,for they are passing on an historical message, that you are ENGLISH.
I think most of the population of England could relate being told this at sometime in their life,but in most cases it would be difficult to produce documents to prove it.
The English, have been subjugated by foreign powers since 1066.
The English now exist in all walks of life in England, they just do not exist in the higher echelons of English society,but as ordinary decent people,many millions also live on sink estates and through no fault of their own have become classified as an underclass, Englands football clubs and their supporters in their way reflect the patriotism that they feel, and many in their way have the courage of their convictions to try to reclaim their Nation from the invasion of economic migrants and their repressive foreign cultures, yet they are demonised for their patriotism, in the latter instance I am talking about the EDL,
We cannot ignore the call that is now coming from every corner of the English community ,we should establish contact with all active English groups ,and consolidate all groups into one political party.
Lets prepare for an English only parliament.