Many of you have just had your English council tax demand - mine was an increase of 3.5% (ish). Whisper it quietly, there is a part of our sceptered isle where there is no increase in council tax at all.
Can you guess?
Scotland (for it is she) has no council tax increase, this is due to the largesse of the Barnett formula that allows English taxpayers to subsidise Scotland. Truly a miracle, if you're a Scot.
Of course this stinks to high heaven, which is why you won't be hearing about it on the BBC or C4 or the other organs of our 'free' democracy.
The Scotsman is quite happy to tell the story here:
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Council-tax-freeze-across-Scotland.3781358.jp
I'll be asking my MP why this injustice is allowed to happen - not sure I'll get a meaningful answer though, he's a Lib Dem, never a a party to lose too much sleep over justice for their English voters.
Make sure you write to your MP - it does make a difference.
Stephen
Friday, 21 March 2008
Sunday, 9 March 2008
The Cost Of Being English.
The CEP have often raised the issue about the extra cost of being English in a Britain where England has no democratic control of its own affairs - unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The mainstream media usually ignore this story (not rocking the establishment boat - as with the Euro referendum) but today the Sunday Times has an article setting out the real cost of being English in England.
You can read the full article here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3511864.ece
But this section sums it up:
The latest figures on public spending per head show that in 2006-7 it was reckoned at £8,623 in Scotland; £8,139 in Wales; and just £7,121 in England. (The figures may seem modest, but they are for “identifiable spending” that differs between regions and do not include items such as defence that are deemed to be national.)
The Scots, with £1,500 more to spend per person, are lavishing services on their 5m population. Free care (up to £210 a week) for the elderly, free eye tests, dental checks and, in future, free prescriptions. Yet in England, it was announced last week that the prescription charge will rise to £7.10.
In Wales, which has £1,000 per person more to spend than England, the authorities last week announced plans for free hospital car parking. It infuriated taxpayers in England.
“It seems that in the UK, the poor relation is England,” said John Cherrett, a campaigner for pensioners in Dorset, where some hospitals charge £7 a day for parking. “Whatever way we look at it, public transport, drugs, pensions, whatever, England is a poor relation. We are the wealth-maker of the four parts of the UK and we lose out all along.”
In total the TaxPayers’ Alliance pressure group calculates that the “cost of being English” could amount to more than £7,000 a year – from £3,000 for university tuition fees to thousands more for care of the elderly, £25 for an eye test and £15 for each dental check-up.
What is the reason for this? Is it what it looks suspiciously like? - Labour looking after its heartlands in Scotland and Wales at the expense of the English? and is this why England's people are denied their own parliament - unlike Scotland and Wales?
Expect Labour to announce some headlining plan now that the issue is becoming mainstream but nothing less than a restoration of democracy to England will fix this one -an English parliament dealing with England's taxes and spending.
Stephen
The mainstream media usually ignore this story (not rocking the establishment boat - as with the Euro referendum) but today the Sunday Times has an article setting out the real cost of being English in England.
You can read the full article here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3511864.ece
But this section sums it up:
The latest figures on public spending per head show that in 2006-7 it was reckoned at £8,623 in Scotland; £8,139 in Wales; and just £7,121 in England. (The figures may seem modest, but they are for “identifiable spending” that differs between regions and do not include items such as defence that are deemed to be national.)
The Scots, with £1,500 more to spend per person, are lavishing services on their 5m population. Free care (up to £210 a week) for the elderly, free eye tests, dental checks and, in future, free prescriptions. Yet in England, it was announced last week that the prescription charge will rise to £7.10.
In Wales, which has £1,000 per person more to spend than England, the authorities last week announced plans for free hospital car parking. It infuriated taxpayers in England.
“It seems that in the UK, the poor relation is England,” said John Cherrett, a campaigner for pensioners in Dorset, where some hospitals charge £7 a day for parking. “Whatever way we look at it, public transport, drugs, pensions, whatever, England is a poor relation. We are the wealth-maker of the four parts of the UK and we lose out all along.”
In total the TaxPayers’ Alliance pressure group calculates that the “cost of being English” could amount to more than £7,000 a year – from £3,000 for university tuition fees to thousands more for care of the elderly, £25 for an eye test and £15 for each dental check-up.
What is the reason for this? Is it what it looks suspiciously like? - Labour looking after its heartlands in Scotland and Wales at the expense of the English? and is this why England's people are denied their own parliament - unlike Scotland and Wales?
Expect Labour to announce some headlining plan now that the issue is becoming mainstream but nothing less than a restoration of democracy to England will fix this one -an English parliament dealing with England's taxes and spending.
Stephen
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Scottish plan land grab at Berwick.
And who will speak up for England's interests when the Scottish parliament votes to take over bits of England? Hmm, why our Scottish Prime Minister of course! or maybe our Scottish Chancellor!
The article is not online but the text from the Sunday Post is here:
Scots plan to capture20 miles of England
By Campbell Gunn
A politician has called for the Scottish border to be moved 20 miles south.Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis says current calls for Berwick to be transferred back to Scotland are not ambitious enough.
He wants to see the border moved 20 miles to take in a large area of Northumberland.Mr Purvis claims it could be done quite simply, with two statutory instruments, one each at Holyrood and Westminster.
One is already going through Westminster as the Government is set to abolish Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council.
So a simple order at Holyrood could see a massive land grab by Scotland go ahead.The move comes as a television poll for ITV's Tonight programme, carried out in Berwick, is expected to show a majority in the town in favour of a shift to Scotland.
Strong feeling
"There's a strong feeling that Berwick should be in Scotland" said Mr Purvis, who was born in the town. "Until recently, I had a gran in Berwick and another in Kelso, and they could see that there were better public services in Scotland."Mr Purvis continued, "Berwick as a borough council is going to be abolished and it would then be run from Morpeth, more than 30 miles away." All that would be required would be two statutory instruments, and one of them is already going through the House of Commons." "So it would only need a statutory instrument at Holyrood and then all that would be required would be an adjustment of the Borders Council area to take in part of England." "Scotland would then go down almost as far as Alnwick, as the Berwick Borough Council area extends 20 miles south into England.
Well, the benefits of devolution for Scotland are clear - when will England get a voice?
Stephen
The article is not online but the text from the Sunday Post is here:
Scots plan to capture20 miles of England
By Campbell Gunn
A politician has called for the Scottish border to be moved 20 miles south.Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis says current calls for Berwick to be transferred back to Scotland are not ambitious enough.
He wants to see the border moved 20 miles to take in a large area of Northumberland.Mr Purvis claims it could be done quite simply, with two statutory instruments, one each at Holyrood and Westminster.
One is already going through Westminster as the Government is set to abolish Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council.
So a simple order at Holyrood could see a massive land grab by Scotland go ahead.The move comes as a television poll for ITV's Tonight programme, carried out in Berwick, is expected to show a majority in the town in favour of a shift to Scotland.
Strong feeling
"There's a strong feeling that Berwick should be in Scotland" said Mr Purvis, who was born in the town. "Until recently, I had a gran in Berwick and another in Kelso, and they could see that there were better public services in Scotland."Mr Purvis continued, "Berwick as a borough council is going to be abolished and it would then be run from Morpeth, more than 30 miles away." All that would be required would be two statutory instruments, and one of them is already going through the House of Commons." "So it would only need a statutory instrument at Holyrood and then all that would be required would be an adjustment of the Borders Council area to take in part of England." "Scotland would then go down almost as far as Alnwick, as the Berwick Borough Council area extends 20 miles south into England.
Well, the benefits of devolution for Scotland are clear - when will England get a voice?
Stephen
Monday, 21 January 2008
England excluded (no change there then) from UK devolution
Please follow the link below to see who is deciding the future direction of the UK's devolution process, here's a clue, they're all Scots.......and England is not on the agenda.
http://thecep.org.uk/news/?p=371
You could ask your MP why this is so?
http://thecep.org.uk/news/?p=371
You could ask your MP why this is so?
Thursday, 10 January 2008
2008 - the end of the Union?
According to Iain McWhirter in The Guardian it is.
His article is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2238275,00.html
This is a Comment is Free article so you can air your views.
Stephen.
His article is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2238275,00.html
This is a Comment is Free article so you can air your views.
Stephen.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Sunday Telegraph - Union with Scotland in danger
The Telegraph has an article talking up the Union but with some interesting poll results from England, reflecting the results of flawed devolution for Scotland under Labour. Things will only get worse for the Union with the SNP in power in Scotland and a Scottish Labour cabal in power at Westminster.
What England needs is our own Parliament, free from the votes and interference of unaccountable Scottish MPs, in a new and democratic settlement that is fair to England.
The Telegraph article is here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/09/npoll109.xml
What England needs is our own Parliament, free from the votes and interference of unaccountable Scottish MPs, in a new and democratic settlement that is fair to England.
The Telegraph article is here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/09/npoll109.xml
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
The Union with Scotland is dead
Says Simon Heffer in the Telegraph, recognising the fact that seems obvious to all but our current government and opposition parties. The tide of opinion is definitely turning but we still need to demand an English Parliament loud and clear.
The Telegraph article is here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IMDRARH0SGDBVQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/11/14/do1401.xml&posted=true&_requestid=1055704
Stephen
The Telegraph article is here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IMDRARH0SGDBVQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/11/14/do1401.xml&posted=true&_requestid=1055704
Stephen
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