The excellent new OurKingdom blog from OpenDemocracy has asked each of the Labour Deputy leadership contenders for their solution to the English question:
The elections in Scotland and Wales saw significant victories for the nationalists, whilst in England the Tories have been drawing attention to the 'West Lothian Question'. What should be done, if anything, to give England more representation or 'voice'?
Peter Hain: We need much better answers to the 'English question', and that means radically strengthening accountability in the English regions â continuing to decentralise decision-making on issues such as skills, transport, planning and housing to the regions.
Hazel Blears: My answer to the West Lothian question is greater devolution below the level of the nation state. Empowering citizens and communities breaks some of the logjam.
Harriet Harman: It would be crazy to adopt the Tory policy of only allowing MPs from English seats to vote on certain legislation. It would turn some MPs into second class members and it would undermine the fact that in our Parliamentary system the Government depends on its majority in the Commons. I support more regional democracy to mirror the Parliament in Scotland and Assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Hilary Benn: I think the best thing we can do is change the way we do our politics. I do not support an English Parliament, and the West Lothian Question is a consequence of devolution in the United Kingdom.
John Cruddas: Firstly, I am not in favour of an English parliament. I think when the Tories call for this they risk stoking up nationalism. We should value the Union that is Great Britain, and Scottish and Welsh representation is very important in this. What I think is needed is for Labour to reconfigure its electoral strategy so that it is not just concentrated on the supermarginal seats and those seatâs swing voters. This should be bolstered by a reinvigoration of the party based grassroots campaigning, to make the party a force in peopleâs everyday lives and addressing their insecurities. We also need to strengthen what democratic bodies we already have in England, local councils and local democratic bodies.
Alan Johnson: The fact that we had some disappointing results in Wales and Scotland does not mean that we should slow our pace of reform, or that we should turn our back on the principle of moving power away from Westminster. We need to continue to make a positive case for devolution and not fall into the trap of âzero-sumâ debates- meaning that because Wales and Scotland have been given more power, that this somehow makes the English less powerful, or a marginalised group within the United Kingdom. (openDemocracy)
The CEP's Tom Waterhouse points out the flaw in all this talk of Scotland, Wales and the regions:
The plans to balkanise England into regions failed when it encountered that annoying little thing called âdemocracyâ: in the only referendum to be held on a regional assembly in the north east of England, the idea was emphatically rejected by 78% to 22%. Despite this, regionalisation in England has continued. Itâs undemocratic, itâs unwanted, itâs unfair. That the candidates said nothing of this does not bode well for England in the near future. It certainly shows that talk of âre-engagingâ with voters and the public is just as false as it was in 1997. (openDemocracy)
It's inconceivable that the English regions would have the powers of the Scottish Parliament, so regional devolution would do nothing to address issues like this:
plans by the ruling Scottish National Party to scrap tuition fees will be unveiled on Wednesday and are expected to pass through the Edinburgh parliament with the support of the Greens and Liberal Democrats.
From 2011, student loans will also be wiped out and maintenance grants reintroduced.
In addition, students from the European Union will also get free university places in Scotland.
But English, Welsh and Northern Irish students will still have to pay for the privilege.
Last year the SNP pledged that any move to scrap tuition fees would also cover English students in Scotland.
But Scottish education secretary Fiona Hyslop is expected to abandon that commitment because of fears it would create a rush of English students north of the border.
There are 15,000 English undergraduates in Scotland paying £1,700 a year for a four-year degree.
On top of an average loan of £11,000, it means they leave with a typical debt of £17,800.
Students in England must pay top-up fees of up to £3,000 a year â and universities are expected to be allowed to raise their charges from 2010.
Ironically, Tony Blair had to rely on the votes of Scottish MPs to push through the introduction of tuition fees at English universities. (Daily Mail)
I think the Scots are right to abolish tuition fees, but the majority of English MPs also voted against them, so why do students in England have to pay up? Because Gordon Brown is determined to keep a rump of Scottish MPs who are accountable to no-one but the whips on English issues.
Maybe it's 'stoking nationalism' to point that out, but New Labour has been doing a fair bit of stoking nationalism itself.
It appears that stoking nationalism is OK if it's British nationalism and it means removing services for immigrants and Brown-nosing the Prime Minister.
It's not OK if its English nationalism and it means defending services for everyone from an unaccountable elite.
