(not satire – it’s the Tories!)
The non-partisan Electoral Reform Society has criticised William Hague’s announcement of the Conservative proposal for giving English MPs a say over England-only legislation, saying such important constitutional changes should be decided by the public, not just by MPs.
Here’s a statement issued today by Darren Hughes, Deputy Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society:
“It may seem like the most natural thing in the world to give English MPs a veto over laws that affect only England. But the truth is this proposal would have huge implications for the way we are governed. It’s impossible to isolate this issue from wider constitutional questions about where power lies in the UK. We need to answer those questions in full, but that process cannot take place behind closed doors.”
“A citizen-led Convention would put people, not politicians, in the driving seat when it comes to settling our constitutional future. It’s the only way to answer these difficult questions and come to a settlement that commands legitimacy and respect. It’s time to put an end to these back-room deals and unilateral announcements, whether it’s the Conservatives in England or Labour in Scotland. Let’s give citizens a chance to decide where power should lie in the UK.”
I would agree entirely with the Electoral Reform Society’s position, and would only add that if the Tories want their proposals on the controversial constitutional changes to be taken more seriously, perhaps they should consider changing their slogan from AFUK to something a little less distracting:
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Just a thought.
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Please feel free to share. And comment.
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The Coalition Government Colouring and Activity Book is now available for download as a PDF and in print:
Reblogged this on sdbast.
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Reblogged this on anemone of promise.
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I think the acronym just lacks the word “complete” between the A and the F.
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Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
This has absolutely nothing to do with giving English people the same power to make their own laws that the Scots, the Northern Irish, and, to a lesser extent, the Welsh now enjoy. It’s about shoring up Tory power in the English heartlands, and trying to keep Labour out. Labour have been stronger in the provinces, like Scotland and Wales, although in the latter they could also lose massively to the SNP. Cameron and Osborne are clearly afraid of the deal that was being suggested last week Labour could make to share power in Westminster with the SNP.
It’s also something of a scaled-down version of an idea that was floating around the Tories just before they didn’t get elected in 2010. Blair’s movement of the Labour party to the right had brought about a crisis in Tory ranks, and the Nasty Party were on the brink of collapse. One of the Tory journos in the Mail was even suggesting that the Tories rebrand themselves ‘The English Nationalists’. This would, of course, kill off the Tories as the party of the United Kingdom, and the 300 year old union with Scotland, as well as Northern Ireland and Wales, that the Tories had been so keen on preserving. It would also have gone further and made unionism much more unpopular on the Celtic fringe, as it would have been clearly linked with English nationalism. Instead of presenting the United Kingdom as a union of the British people(s), it would have become an empire, with the other nations merely subaltern peoples under English rule. Nationalists would argue that’s what it is already, but the change from ‘Conservatives’ to ‘English Nationalists’ would make it nakedly obvious.
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After nearly five years of Tory dominated politics and their deliberate victimisation of the most vulnerable in our society I think we can safely conclude that they have no intention of giving a FUK?
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We are supposed to have parliamentary supremacy. This is not compatible with two tiers on MPs.
Seconsly, this give aid and comfort to those in the EU who don’t like us. Shengen MEP votes for Shengen members, locking us out of the borders debate. Euro MEP votes for Euro members, locking us out of the finance debate, to the great pleasure of Frankfurt which would love any possibility to downgrade London as a finance centre.
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Oh AFUK!
“two tiers of PMs”, not “two tiers on MPs”
Sorry
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As far as I can discover, the only mainstream media organ that is carrying this story is the Buxton Advertiser…….
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Where is the “er” after AFUK, only I believe that is what Mr Hague is…
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Reblogged this on Jay's Journal and commented:
Hague is a useless little man…
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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@AlexBuzzard – Five years? It’s a lot more than that! There hasn’t been a Labour government since the 1970s.
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