This blog has moved

Just another post to say that The England Project had moved to a wordpress blog on this server. The new address is www.theenglandproject.net/wordpress/. I would be grateful if you could update your blogroll links to reflect this new address.

Bloglines subscribers can re-subscribe by clicking on the following button:

The general rss feed is here.

Many thanks.

Announcement

The England Project is moving to a wordpress blog on this server. The new address is www.theenglandproject.net/wordpress/. I would be grateful if you could update your blogroll links to reflect this new address.

Bloglines subscribers can re-subscribe by clicking on the following button:

The general rss feed is here.

Please do re-subscribe.

I have made the move for a few reasons. Primarily because my hosting provider has started providing wordpress as an installable product which means they will provide upgrades and the like.

I will be trying out comments on this new blog using a registration based system. If you want to join in then please do register.

A few design elements will probably be changed over time on the new blog. I hope you like the initial design.

At some point in the future I will install a redirection script from the original blog URL to the new blog. Links to existing blog pages will still work.

I hope that this isn’t too inconvenient for readers.

Voters oppose Scottish PM

This situation comes as no great surprise:

A majority of English voters think Scottish MPs should be barred from becoming the UK's prime minister, according to a BBC survey.

This is an indication that unequal devolution has worsened people's perception of politics and democracy in general across Britain and especially across England. As the understanding of accountability and mandate by people in post devolution Britain grows we can expect to see this kind of situation get even worse. The sooner something effective is done about it the better.

Teaching British Values

We need to wait to see how this pans out but it is important to pre-emptively note that any attempt at teaching British values to our schoolchildren must be inclusive. That is to say it must include all British state schools regardless of what British nation they happen to be educated in.

There is absolutely no equality based ethical argument that would exclude Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland from these plans.

Indeed, to do it any other way would be prejudicial. An England and Wales only scheme or an England only scheme cannot and should not be tolerated.

New Labour hypocrisy

Haha. That’s what I have to say to New Labour. Haha. I mean talk about revealing yourselves at every turn. This time it’s Ruth Kelly who seems to delight in decrying the not in my backyarders but then turns out to be one herself:

Ruth Kelly faced fresh embarrassment as she was branded a hypocrite for denouncing Nimbyism while opposing a series of housing developments in her constituency.
Local planners said Ms Kelly, the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, was a regular campaigner against new housing in her Bolton West constituency, despite saying she wanted to "root out" the not-in-my-backyard attitude of householders.

I’ve never been happy about the term NIMBYISM when it’s been thrown about by elected politicians. I mean, they are the worst offenders, what with all that ”working for the best interests of my constituents” and the ”listening to the demands of my local community” seemingly without a care in the world for the people in the next constituency.

When New Labour lose a seat they say ”oh well, it was about local issues, we must do better” and in the next breath it’s all ”oh local issues, don’t be such a NIMBY”. What are they like eh?

There's an idea. The Little Red Book of New Labour Hypocrisy. Try and keep it under 600 pages.

What can it all mean?

Visiting the online site of The Guardian I notice that the most popular stories visited by Guardian readers yesterday were:

Not an opinion piece among them. All sport except the middle one which is about UFO's.

England sinking? The Politics show to record meeting.

Updated ... see end of post.

From the CEP, which I received via mail last night, and also from the EDP

A public meeting is being held in the Rugby Club in Penrith, Cumberland, at 7.30 pm on Thursday 11th May 2006.

Christine Constable, our Vice Chairman, will be there representing the English Democrats.

Scilla Cullen, Secretary to the CEP, will also be there with a speech entitled

An English Parliament? - Objections and Solutions.

All welcome

For further information please contact Steve Gash at spg.cep [AT] btinternet.com

or Geoffrey Graham - gwgraham [AT] supanet.com

It's too late and too far away from me but this thing will be recorded by the BBC possibly for The Politics Show so the bigger the turnout the better. If you can make it at such short notice it would help.

Have your say over at the BBC.

Kelly and equality

No. 10 backs Kelly on equalities. Oh, oh....she's finished.

Confirmed constitutional responsibilities

eGov Monitor reports on the confirmation of the line up and responsibilities at the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The MP responsible for Devolution and Regional Policy is Bridget Prentice MP (Lewisham East) who, when she's not failing to redress the devolution imbalance, enjoys stopping people from smoking, reducing parliamentary scrutiny, advocating the introduction of ID cards, charging English students fees that are not charged to other British students, imprisoning people without trial and banning fox hunting.

Anthem4England

I have a new post up on Anthem4England.

It's only the English, move along, nothing to see here

Via Kev comes this bit of World Cup news:

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair could offer free tickets for each goal scored in the World Cup against England, the company's outspoken chief executive Michael O'Leary has told a German newspaper.

"That's something we can envision doing," O'Leary, an Irishman with a flair for publicity and known fondness for soccer and rugby, told weekly Welt am Sonntag.

Interesting business proposition. Or is it? OR IS IT?

Do please pass on this opportunity.

The one department.....

From Iain Dale:

I've just read in the Standard that John Reid described the Home Office recently as "the one Department which can't have a Scot in charge". For those of us living in the real world that out to be so, but in Mr Blair's parallel universe anything's possible. Next he'll be making Margaret Beckett Foreign Secretary.

Quite. Anyone notice how quiet the BBC are being over this issue? Perhaps I missed a news story somewhere from them.

Not good enough Mr. Cameron

David Cameron recently made a speech at The Power Inquiry conference. Read the text here. He quite rightly puts the boot into New Labour's regional agenda but fails completely to mention anything about the unfinished devolution project and the democratic deficit that leaves in the British Union.

Devolution Version 2 to be released

While England waits with growing impatience for it's share of the devolution cake the Scottish are already talking about devolution version 2.0:

Somehow, Labour must come to terms with this new phase – “devolution version 2.0” – and develop policies accordingly. McConnell needs to address the deficiencies in the Scottish democracy, the sections of the Scotland Act designed as a unionist fail-safe against independence. The Scottish parliament must find its own revenue base and be seen to raise more of the money it spends.

England's version of devolution isn't even in the alpha testing stage yet. Rumours have it that the programming team is full of idiots.

The Home Away From Home Office

From The Times:

Such is his aggressive manner that the much-aired West Lothian Question, which highlights the anomaly that lets Scottish MPs vote on English affairs while devolution prevents things happening the other way around, is again likely to come to the fore with Reid at the helm of the Home Office.

It looks like the Home Office has become the Home Away From Home Office.

Two EDM's

Ian points us to two Early Day Motions that shooters might be interested in. Go read about them here and here and, perhaps, get your MP to sign.

It's offensive for some reason

From the Sun:

FIREMEN have been banned from flying England’s flag at their station during the World Cup.

Stunned crews were told the Cross of St George could offend ethnic minorities.

If anyone can work out why the national flag might be offensive to ethnic minorities please email me. If anyone can work out why banning the flag might be offensive to, oh I don't know, a whole nation please mail the London Fire Brigade.

Lance Dragon, over on the COSG forums, makes this observation:

These kinds of twats who ban the English flag are making a statement - if you belong to an ethnic minority there is no way you can ever consider yourself to be English even if you want to be.

They are certainly sending out that kind of message, or at least they are in danger of having it interpreted that way.

Scott get's on the case:

Can you think of any other nation in the entire world in which a display of the national flag would be prohibited for fear of causing offence? Is there any society as craven as this one? I am, for once, rendered almost speechless.

No Scott, I don't think that I can. Frankly it's an offensive position to want to prevent the flying of the national flag.

From the comments at Scott's place:

The problem is that the St George's Cross flag was hijacked by hooligan football supporters some years ago and respectable people began to shun it.

Yes, right, and that's the reason why they want to stop it flying. So it won't offend the moderate football supporter.........

Flaccid Prescott

Well, it looks like John Prescott's roll has been regionalised. He's managed to keep just the Deputy PM roll which basically means that he's the bouncer standing between Blair and Brown. They should both hit him and get on with the main bout.

No, he's a baby elephant

Let’s get this straight right from the start. Charles Clarke is not a proud man. A proud man does not attempt to impose ID cards on the general public. A proud man does not allow the release of dangerous criminals to impose their lawlessness without considering them for deportation. A proud man does not allow the police force to have the power of summary judgement. None of these are the actions of the proud. They are the actions of the arrogant.

A proud man would have resigned. Being pushed and then refusing kindness (a new ministerial position should not have been offered) is more akin to tantrum than it is to anything else.

John Reid gets the Home Office

So it looks like John Reid has the Home Office. This means he will be making policy in an area that has been partially devolved to the Scottish parliament and, therefore, his policies may not affect his own constituents in the same way that they would affect the people of England. No person eligible to vote in England can use their vote to specifically pass commentary on the performance of this minister in his brief at the Home Office.

Remember, it is not that he is Scottish that is at issue here. What is at issue is mandate and the democratic relationship that he has with the people his decisions and performance will affect.

Also note that the people in his constituency voted for him and yet they will not receive the full benefit of his time in office because they may not be subject to the outcome of some of his efforts.

By 1 vote

Sublime:

A former mayor of St Albans lost his council seat after an election tie was settled by getting the candidates to pick the longest pencil.

St Albans Tory councillor Keith Stammers lost out to Lib Dem Judith Shardlow after their votes were tied at 1131 each after three recounts.

What a difference a single vote can make eh?

Local election turnout

A quick word with some guy sitting outside of the polling station here returned a turn out so far of about 30%. They're hoping the after work voter rush will improve things.

Sun is shining, beer is calling.

Welcome to Britain

.....bemused tourists and passers-by wondered what the blank protest banner signified and laughed at the huge police turn-out when told.

Who did what now?

Oh noes, it's the fault of the English. Or is it the British? I don't mind the theory, but they could at least make their minds up about who they are talking about.

Holy Grail: Scene 3

I'm thinking about this to support my other T shirt design.

The conservative message is not getting through

So, there I was this morning, sitting at the bottom of the stairs putting my shoes on when my good Lady suggested that I take my poling card with me to work so that I might vote on the way home. Good idea, so while we both hunted around for the cards we chatted about the moment of utter pointlessness that lay ahead.

”So who are you going to vote for?” she requested.

”Oh, for the first time I’m not 100% sure. It depends on who is standing really. If UKIP are there I’ll probably go for them, perhaps the EDP if someone is standing for them. I might even spoil my ballot with Guido had the right idea, What’s the fucking point or English Parliament! or some such. How about you?”

”Well, you know so much more than me about these things. I’ll probably just vote conservatory.”

How we laughed.

”You won’t put this up on your web site will you?”, she said.

Law, huuuu, what is it good for.......

Via IDD:

Automatic deportation for EU nationals convicted of criminal offences in the UK are specifically prohibited by EU Directive 2004/38, which states that ‘Expulsion orders may not be issued by the host Member State as a penalty or legal consequence of a custodial penalty’. "Article 33 of the directive prevents the automatic removal of those convicted of offences, and whilst it does allow for deportation as a sanction, the blanket use of deportation orders is prohibited by the Directive, which specifically states: 'Justifications that are isolated from the particulars of the case or that rely on considerations of general prevention shall not be accepted'. The Directive entered into force on the 30th April 2006.

This may mean that we will have to treat foreign criminals from the EU differently from foreign criminals from any other country with respect to deportation. Surely if the argument about deportation of foreign nationals holds any water at all it must be true for all foreign nationalities, regardless of whether their home country is part of an expansionist federal political project or not.

In response to this issue, the wider version of which all party politicians seem to be falling over themselves to say how important it is to your average British citizen, Labour councillor Bob Piper says:

I do think you should credit your loony wing in UKIP when you nick pieces from their website Iain.

Yup, I can see the average man in the street nodding his head in approval at that contribution.

Another thing about the blogosphere....

...it's great for this kind of thing, where Iain Dale live blogs Prime Minister's Question time. No editor would allow this kind of stuff out into the wires but it's exactly the kind of thing that's needed to plug the gap for those of us who cannot get to a radio or a television.

Nace 1 inan. Kep up teh god wrok!

Home Office mandate - England's affairs

The Green Ribbon raises an interesting point on the inheritance of the Home Office in any future reshuffle. Remember that home affairs is partially devolved. If the position goes to an MP that does not represent an English constituency it will be a measure of the importance that mandate commands in New Labour.

Let's hope that such a situation doesn't come to pass. It will just raise the temperature within a Union that is already heated by the friction of unequal devolution. Then again, if it does happen it will indicate that the issue is very far below the radar of the British government so maybe a little heating is what they either deserve or require to shame them into some kind of action.