Posted on 09/19/2014 12:53:38 AM PDT by goldstategop
"I have long believed that a crucial part missing from this national discussion is England.
"We have heard the voice of Scotland - and now the millions of voices of England must also be heard.
"The question of English votes for English laws - the so-called West Lothian question -requires a decisive answer.
"So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues and all this must take place in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland.
"I hope that is going to take place on a cross-party basis. I have asked William Hague to draw up these plans.
"We will set up a Cabinet Committee right away and proposals will also be ready to the same timetable
"I hope the Labour Party and other parties will contribute.
"It is also important we have wider civic engagement about to improve governance in our United Kingdom, including how to empower our great cities. And we will say more about this in the coming days.
"This referendum has been hard fought. It has stirred strong passions. It has electrified politics in Scotland, and caught the imagination of people across the whole of our United Kingdom.
"It will be remembered as a powerful demonstration of the strength and vitality of our ancient democracy.
"Record numbers registered to vote and record numbers cast their vote. We can all be proud of that.
"It has reminded us how fortunate we are that we are able to settle these vital issues at the ballot box, peacefully and calmly.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Now it’s time for Siberia.
The Canadians have been able to combine a constitution similar in principle to that of the UK with federalism.
Now the British are going to do the same thing and England will receive its own Parliament and regional government as well.
As a result, the UK Parliament will legislate only in areas in which the devolved regional governments cannot effectively address them alone.
But the country’s uncodified constitution allows for such a course. The Act Of Union passed in 1707 is now effectively a dead letter.
I know Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg discouraged other countries from emulating the US Constitution it is a framework the UK should emulate.
Cameron should be commended for his sense of realpolitik. The UK will have to change the way it operates in order to survive.
The “No” vote in Scotland won by a rather comfortable margin, but it was by no means a landslide. “We hear you” at 10 Downing St. is right.
If they will have "English only" MPs voting on matters affecting the English, they need to have "Gaelic only" MPs voting on matters affecting the Gaelic-speakers, and "Welsh only" MPs voting on matters affecting the Welsh-speakers.
Women only got the franchise in 1930.
A separate Parliament to legislate for England is a more practical solution.
The UK Parliament would only legislate in reserved areas that no region can handle itself.
England is far too big for single unitary devolution. Scotland has 5 million people, England 50 million. England itself should be federalised in order to bring power as closely to the people as is now the case in Scotland.
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