Xinomorph

Under proposals drawn up by ex-minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the Conservatives are considering an English Grand Committee (as reported in this BBC News article).

The plans - currently being considered for introduction as official party policy - would see a new 'Grand Committee' introduced, to sit in the House of Commons. The committee would be comprised of English MPs, and have sole influence and say over issues which affect England alone.

Although not quite the full, seperate English Parliament that many call for, the so-called EVoEL settlement would be a huge step towards justice, democracy, and fair treatment of English people.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party - particularly delusional harpie Harriet Harman - have been swearing that black is lime green:

I think this is a very, very dangerous line of argument that the Conservatives are pushing. They used to be the Conservative and Unionist Party and now they are making proposals which wouldn't help strengthen regional accountability in England but would actually, I think, threaten the Union.

Aside from the fact that, as proven in a referendum in the north-east of England a few years back, NO ONE wants the regional assemblies which she is referring to with the vile term "regional accountability", this is pretty rich coming from the deputy leader of the party who created this "dangerous" imbalance in the first place. With individual democratic institutions responsible for certain areas of policy in each of the other three constituent countries of the UK, and England left off to be dictated to purely by the British Parliament (including MPs who have no accountability over those who their votes affect), the present imbalance is far more dangerous, and infinitely more damaging, than anything the Conservatives could propose. The vile, left-wing-posing-as-right-wing-to-win-votes modern Labour Party have a grip on reality and affinity with the people which seems to diminish by the day (and in the latter case, was arguably never really there in the first place). If there is just one thing, in the 300 years since the union was formed, which has destabilised and damaged it, then it is Labour's devolution - and particularly lack thereof, as far as England is concerned.

Meanwhile, as Labour continue to rely on polls years old to back up their "England doesn't want a Parliament" argument, ignoring dozens over the past few years which show overwhelming support to the exact opposite, the public gain increasingly restless.

As regular and long-time readers may be aware, whilst I certainly believe that there is an imbalance which must be addressed, I do not personally support the idea of an English Parliament. Rather, I support the idea of reversing devolution totally (perhaps not in the case of Northern Ireland of course - could get a bit messy). Apart from my own pride in Britain, this is perhaps primarily through tax concerns. A good couple of billion pounds (that's a real billion, not an I-can't-count American billion) must go to the running of the Welsh and Northern Irish assemblies, as well as the Scottish Parliament, already. And that's without taking into account the inevitably horrendously bloated civil services in each. So how much more would an English Parliament cost? An English Parliament which would of course cover a far, far greater area and populus than any of the other three. We need to be making cutbacks and spending the money on worthwhile causes and services, not throwing more at the latest version of democracy.

I fear, however, that that is far from likely.