My regions, they trouble me so

I've just received a pointer to this in my email. It's an answer given by
Nick Raynsford when asked about the government plans for regional assemblies in England; Are you not then going to end up with a constitutional mess with different levels of power devolved to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London and the other English regions? Would it not be easier to give them all equivalent powers?:

Scotland is a country which has its own parliament. No one has suggested other than people who want an English parliament, which is not a very sensible suggestion, that there should be parliaments with legislative powers in the English regions.

The London assembly doesn't have legislative powers and as I said, the powers for the North East assembly will be broadly comparable to those in London. So all the English regions will have the opportunity of an assembly with powers relating to economic development and quality of life issues, including some of those that I have described. Those will be comparable to other English regions.

Yes the position is different in Scotland because Scotland is a nation in its own right and similarly Wales.

There is a logic behind these proposals that relate to the nature of the United Kingdom, which is a grouping of four nations, of which England is one and within England there will be devolved regional bodies with broadly comparable powers.

So, Raynsford states that the situation is different in Scotland because it is a nation in its own right and then he goes on to say that the UK is a grouping of four nations, of which England is one.

I am a software engineer by trade; I deal in logic. His comments mean that
England is a nation but not in its own right. He has been drinking; something
French I suspect.

I need to think upon this a while. Perhaps try to change my frame of reference so it is something akin to his. I will have a drink or two or three, something new world I think, and then see if his comments make any more sense.

Posted by John at October 30, 2004 05:46 PM | TrackBack