indépendance de l'ecosse
TRANSCRIPT
Sue Stirling: Now let us turn to the English question...
Public opinion towards the Union is changing most dramatically in England
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
Today marks the tercentenary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland, and
rather than celebrate, it looks like a marriage heading for the divorce courts. This has
triggered an intense debate about the Union's survival prospects. Incredibly, though, such
debate has focused almost exclusively on developments north of the border. Little account
has been taken of what people living in England - who make up 85 per cent of the Union -
think.
You might say that there is no English SNP riding high in the polls, and that English
nationalism lacks the political dimension that exists in Scotland. Besides, the English are
relaxed about Scotland's propensity to reflect on whether she should stay or go.
There is truth in these claims, but they overlook a number of important points. Most
significantly, perhaps, is to recognise that public opinion towards the Union is changing
most dramatically in England. While Scottish support for the SNP may be up in the
election, support for independence has barely altered in 20 years. In England, however,
support for an English Parliament has shot up, and some polls even suggest there is now a
majority in favour of the English going it alone. Add to this the growing tendency for the
English to define themselves as "English, not British", up from 30 per cent in 1992 to 40
per cent in 2005, and you begin to get a sense of a stirring restlessness within England.
These polls may exaggerate the true feeling of opinion, or misrepresent support for
particular policies, but they at least give a sense of the direction of travel. And there are a
number of reasons to believe that English indifference to the Scots - and the Union - will
continue to be transformed into frustration or even antipathy.
Firstly, there are the unaddressed devolution anomalies that are fuelling a sense of
injustice among the English. Scottish MPs continue to vote on laws that apply only to
England. The English taxpayer - via the Barnett Formula - continues to subsidise
Scotland.
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Secondly, the perception of such injustices will grow in prominence if a Scot becomes
prime minister, and especially so if, as many polls predict, his majority in England falls
further. Under such conditions, Gordon Brown would increasingly rely on Scottish (and
Welsh) MPs to pass bills. Think also of the reaction in England if, under a hung
parliament, Gordon Brown struck a deal with Ming Campbell. There would be cries of
rule by the Scottish Raj.
Thirdly, an SNP-led coalition in Scotland is likely to create constitutional commotion,
pressing for new powers and challenging Westminster's authority. Alex Salmond knows
full well that in picking fights with Westminster, over Trident and nuclear power stations,
for instance, he will fan the flames of English nationalism. Under such circumstances it
might end up being the English who determine the fate of the Union. Devolution will
rightly be regarded as one of the great triumphs of the Blair years, but unless the English
Question is addressed all this good work may come undone.
So what needs to happen? Perhaps the simplest solution is "English votes on English
laws", which would bar Scottish MPs from voting on English matters. Simple but
fundamentally unworkable, as William Gladstone discovered when wrestling with the
same idea over Irish Home Rule. It would create a constitutional crisis greater than the
West Lothian Question itself, since it raises the prospect of a UK government being
unable to govern England, its largest constituent part. For this reason it has been rejected
as a viable policy solution.
The problem with the West Lothian Question is that it is the wrong question. The real
question that needs addressing is how can we improve the way England is governed? An
English Parliament is not the answer but restarting the devolution process is. The real
English curse is not the presence of Scottish MPs in Westminster but the fact that England
is so overcentralised. Addressing this English question would see a much greater
devolution to local people. If Brown is the pluralist he claims to be then he must prove it
here.
The Barnett formula needs to be replaced with a fairer funding system. This could be
linked to giving Scotland greater fiscal autonomy.
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If there is a lesson from the past 10 years then it is the need to think about the Union as-a-
whole, rather than dealing with the nations in isolation. To deal with this Brown should
establish a UK-wide constitutional convention that looks at the needs of the constituent
parts of the UK, and addressing the grievances in England, in particular. If not, the future
of the Union looks far from certain.
The writer is director of the Institute of Public Policy Research North
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