An English Devolution Perspective

Scotland will go to the polls in 2014 on whether or not they should become Independent from the rest of the UK.  Personally I would rather Scotland stays in the Union.  However I do accept it is a choice in which the Scottish people have to make their own judgement on.

A more  pressing matter for me personally is the future of England and the English regions.  Whatever the outcome of the Scottish referendum, an imbalance now exists within the UK as MPs from all nations of the Union can vote on English only matters.  However, English MPs cannot vote on policy areas which have been devolved to the National Parliaments or Assemblies of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  I fully agree that something needs to be done to correct this imbalance.

There are two suggestions I would not agree with.  One is that you have some sittings in Westminster that only England based MPs can take part in.  Even if the English MPs were to be given higher salaries to reflect the fact that they would be doing more work, it would create a complicated situation where some members of the same house would be more important than other members.  For me, in any democratic body an individual vote should be equal.

The second option I would not favour is that of an English Parliament.  For me, the big disadvantage of no English devolution is the lack of locally elected politicians with clout who could argue the case of inward investment to the business world for the area in which they represent.  Also, I don't see the point in having a second parliament based in London. It would be another decision making machine that would be too remote from the great cities of the north like Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle etc.

On that note, seeing cities around the country introduce elected mayors is a measure which I consider to be a positive step.  Moving on from elected mayors, another idea of interest is City regions.  As a Merseysider, but not quite from Liverpool itself, I can state there are a number of towns around the outskirts of Liverpool in which the people would still class themselves as Liverpudlians, despite not being in the official population count.  This is a situation repeated in other northern cities.  Although the official population count of Manchester is half a million, such population figures can be misleading due to the neighbouring areas which are excluded.  I do have some suspicion that boundaries have been erected or maintained for convenience.

Back in my native Merseyside and the town of Formby in which I mainly grew up, there is little debate that Formby is economically and culturally linked with the great City that is Liverpool.  However there are other towns with less affiliation with Liverpool, such as Southport which is eight miles north of Formby.  Southport is a traditional seaside town with tourism very much key in the Town's economy.  Although, it should also be pointed out that there are also residents in Southport who commute to Liverpool, Preston or beyond.  Sections of Southport's population have long argued for a return to their traditional county, Lancashire.  Some Merseysiders would understandably view this as snobbery.  That said, such towns would still need consideration in a new English devolution model, even if they don't wish to be linked to a City region.  On that note, a drawback of City Regions is that you could see a regional map with some towns clearly linked to a City, and others either enclaved separately out on their own or being forced into an uneasy co-existence which is perhaps no good for anyone.

Another idea that comes up for discussion from time to time is English Regional Assemblies.  This would be my own preferred model for devolution.  People may well ask what powers should be devolved?  I believe a sensible approach would be to follow the principle of subsidiarity, as laid out in article five on the Treaty of European Union.  That means the decision is taken at the closest possible level to the citizen.  For example, UK Defence Policy would logically require policy making to remain at national level.  However, on the other side of the coin, an area such as nature conservation or tourism would require a very limited role from Central Government.

The North East voted against a regional assembly in 2004.  I do understand the reason in which many voters in the North East voted against the proposal, in that there was a fear it would merely mean another unnecessary tier of government.  My answer is simple.  Take a leaf out of previous proposals to reform the House of Lords, which would have seen the number of members almost halved.  We could simply do something similar with the House of Commons.  This could mean that some of the MPs who would lose out on a seat at national level, could instead contest a seat in a regional assembly.  That way some of those turkeys sitting at Westminster would not necessarily be voting for Christmas!

Argentina needs to re-examine Malvinas tactics!

The Falklands/Malvinas is far from a settled issue.  The referendum in March 2013 has shown if anything that the issue of self-determination is far from the sole issue at stake.  It is no secret on how I view the issue could be resolved long term.  But recent manoeuvres by the Argentine Government will benefit the Malvinas cause very little in the long run, even if President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner somehow sees merit in helping to use the policy for short term domestic consumption.

Last month saw the Argentine Foreign Minister, Hector Timmerman meet up with the President of the Chagos refugees Group.  Whilst the disgraceful case of the Chagossians being expelled from their homeland does expose double standards in Britain's self determination argument, what exactly is Argentina's point about the Chaggosians with regard to the Malvinas question?  Suggestions have been made by the Argentine Foreign Ministry that both the Chagos Islands and the Malvinas Islands are linked by the argument of territorial integrity, due to the Indian Ocean archipelago's sovereignty being claimed by Mauritius.  However, if the Kirchner Government also believes in the repatriation of these people to their homeland with full rights to self determination, then are they saying that maybe self determination could play some part in a resolution to the Falklands/Malvinas dispute?

Back in September, there was the attempt to cosy up to Spain and form a Latin Alliance to put Britain under international pressure on both Falklands/Malvinas and Gibraltar.  The suggestion that Spain suddenly lost interest in the alliance is not the surprise here.  It is rather the motivation to form a Latin Alliance in the first instance on the part of Argentina!  How would Argentina's case benefit from an alliance with a nation that has arguably three territories whose natural geographical link is with Morocco rather than Spain?  Rather like Gibraltar being situated on the southern tip of Spain, Morocco's northern coast is interrupted by enclaved Spanish territory in the form of Ceuta and Melila.  It should also be pointed out that the Canary Islands are clearly much closer to Morocco's west coast than the Spanish mainland.

Arguments made by Spanish Politicians along the lines of Ceuta and Melila having long been part of Spain, compared to the time Gibraltar has been occupied by Britain, or that Ceuta and Melila are actually part of Spain as opposed to Gibraltar being a British Overseas Territory and not a part of the United Kingdom, are complete nonsense.   As for Argentina's Malvinas aspirations, it is quite clear that they will not accept any long term settlement that would see them lose face.  With weaknesses in the British self determination argument which I highlighted in my post on 30 September, and the inevitability that the place in which the Falklands/Malvinas war holds in the British psyche likely to recede over time, Argentina could one day have the opportunity to secure at least a meaningful compromise.  But what Argentina also needs to do is to not undermine it's own case by forming an alliance with a nation  like Spain, even if they do both speak the same language!

ARGENTINA NEEDS TO FOCUS ON IT'S OWN CASE WITH REGARDS TO THE FALKLANDS/MALVINAS.  IT IS NOT IN ARGENTINA'S LONG TERM INTEREST TO ALLOW ANY DISTRACTION FROM OTHER CASES LIKE GIBRALTAR WHICH MAY WELL HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES, BUT WHICH ARE FAR FROM IDENTICAL!

Time to change the US Electoral College System?

From one of my posts on 30 September, it is fairly clear that I fall into the category of someone concerned about the British Parliamentary electoral system.  Very simply not enough voices are heard and if you live in a safe Conservative or a safe Labour seat, you don't see the main parties' big hitters knocking on your door during a general election campaign.

I feel this is also a problem across the pond.  The US Presidential Election system is often referred to as the Electoral College System.  What it means is that the candidate who polls the most votes in a particular state, gets all that state's electoral college votes irrespective of the margin of victory in that particular state.  As with the British Parliamentary System's marginal constituency, it is all very well if you live in a swing state like Florida.  However if you live in what is generally considered to be a non-swing state like Texas or New York, then the Presidential candidates will not be concentrating their campaigning on your doorstep!

I recognise the US and UK have other big issues on their respective agendas at the moment such as the economy, and rightly so.  However turnouts at recent Presidential elections have been consistently below 60%.  In the UK, general election turnouts have been consistently below 70% in recent times.  You don't have to be a political genius to understand that there is a feeling the larger parties are quite happy to snuff out the smaller parties from making any kind of impact.

I acknowledge that in the US, there have been more proposals in Congress for constitutional amendments on the electoral college subject than on any other subject.  But why is the electoral college issue not as big an issue as it should be?  We are living in changing times.  If the western world, arguably led by the US is trying to convey a message to parts of the world such as the Middle East that democracy is the way forward, then surely there needs to be a clear demonstration that voices do get heard!

Tightening UK Dog Laws

I will straightaway admit I am not a great dog lover.  In fact I grew up petrified of dogs due to a phobia my Mother had, which was as a result of her being attacked when she was a small child.  That said, I can now be more comfortable around a number of dog breeds.   I accept that due to my own phobia, opinions which I have held in the past on the subject of dangerous dogs, could have been a little unbalanced.  I would have often said that certain breeds should not be allowed as pets, and instead belong in the zoo!

There is the counter argument that out of control dogs are purely down to how a dog is treated.  Only this week a woman from Atherton in Greater Manchester received a suspended prison sentence for animal cruelty, after her four dogs who had been kept close together in her home, killed a fourteen year old girl.  The Crown Prosecution Service had ruled a month earlier that there had been insufficient evidence to pursue a charge of manslaughter.

Whilst the incident in Greater Manchester could arguably support the view about how well dogs are treated, an incident in Northern Ireland this year saw an apparently well behaved Alaskan Malamute dog that was owned by a teacher, suddenly turn on a five year old pupil causing serious facial injuries.  This was on a day towards the end of the summer term when the teacher brought the dog in for an end of term treat for the children.

Stories of people being attacked by dogs do keep coming.  Only last month, an elderly gentleman got attacked by a Rottweiler (not on a lead) whilst out walking in St Leonards-On-Sea, Sussex.  Whilst there generally may be some substance in the argument that it all depends on how the dog is treated, how many more savage dog attacks do we need to hear about?  IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

There is legislation in the pipeline which will now make dog owners no longer immune from attacks which take place on their own property.  This is a matter in which Trade Unions representing postal, utility, and delivery staff have long campaigned for.  There has also been speculation that the intention of the planned legislation is to increase the maximum penalty for the owners of killer dogs to life imprisonment.  Will this go far enough?

I would personally argue for a new type of licensing system rather similar to the different categories of driving licence which are required for different sized vehicles.  Under the terms of such a licensing system, basic character checks would be sufficient to gain a licence for a person to own one dog, of a breed widely accepted to be a placid breed.  However to own more than one dog or a dog whose placidness is more debatable, the granting of a licence should require further tests to be satisfied before a higher category of licence is granted.  Such tests could in some circumstances require a demonstration of extensive dog handling skills.

I recognise that the cost of such a scheme could be prohibitive at this moment in time, and possibly another issue linked to this would be the costs that would need to be incurred by those people applying for such a higher grade dog ownership licence.  I recognise we are currently in an era of austerity, which will probably take us into the next decade.  However, when the public finances are in better shape, windows of opportunities will open for areas of spending that will presently not get a look in.  Should a case ever be successfully argued that a new dog licensing system is the way forward, THEN MAYBE NOW IS THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN THE DEBATE THAT LIES AHEAD!

Michael Gove, if only..

Recent events would appear to suggest that the UK Education Secretary, Michael Gove is a man with more enemies than your average Tory Politician!  It would seem his enemies expand beyond teachers towards a Children's Author and even the Church of England!  Is it any wonder a Michael Gove Vodoo Pincushion is on the market?  

Lets remember though that this is a man who wants re-sit exam results to be excluded from official league tables.  Even if such a move should eventually result in his discredited league tables being disbanded, the main concern must be that it undermines the efforts of so many good schools to give students the best chance in life.  It is important to remember that the best chance for a young student sometimes requires that student to be given as many opportunities as possible!

If the events of the last few weeks are anything to go by, it would appear that Gove can embrace controversy equally on educational matters as he can on matters of distasteful press coverage.  That said his defence of the Daily Mail over it's controversial coverage of Labour Party Leader Ed Milliband's late father's feelings towards Britain, could be motivated by self interest.  This is a self interest that is possibly explained by the fact that his spouse is of course a Daily Mail Columnist.

I spent Friday evening catching up with some friends.  Amongst these friends are a few teachers, all of whom at various social occasions have been particularly keen to express their views on the delightful Mr Gove!  One common theme that always comes up is his lack of willing to engage with the people who actually work in Education.  This theme is possibly backed up by recent speculation that Gove instead prefers to engage with those who say a child's educational performance is linked more to genetics than teaching!  This week's Cabinet re-shuffle also featured in our little catch up.  One casualty of the re-shuffle was Michael.  But sadly for my friends, the Michael in question was in fact Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore.  My friends would dearly have loved it to have been Mickey Morris Dancer!

In reality that was not likely to happen, and this brings me onto why I refer to Gove as "Mickey Morris Dancer".  A few days after the 2010 General Election, Mr Gove was being interviewed on a popular Sunday Morning Politics TV Programme against the backdrop of a Hung Parliament.  On being asked if he would give up his seat in Cabinet to facilitate a coalition deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, Gove answered that he would in a most decisive manner.  I felt at the time that should Mickey miss the cut for the ConDem Cabinet, then he would have been most grateful to be offered the post of Minister for Morris Dancers!  If only..

A Distinct Quebec Identity

One of the most curious political sagas in North America is the position of the largely French speaking Quebec Province within the Canadian Federation.  Quebecans narrowly voted against going it alone in a referendum nearly two decades ago.  But despite resisting Independence back then, the signs are there that Quebecans will never be completely at ease within the Canadian Confederation.  Even if Quebec continues to resist any temptation to completely break free from the rest of Canada, surely that distinctive identity needs to be recognised somehow.

Perhaps it is time for Quebecans to draw inspiration from across the North Atlantic at the United Kingdom.  There are now Devolved Assemblies or Parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  This is arguably very similar to the Parliaments in the Canadian Provinces.  However, the Nations of the United Kingdom do also enjoy elements of a distinct identity through sport.  On the one hand, the four nations do compete together in the Olympics as Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Scottish Tennis player Andy Murray does officially represent Great Britain.  But on the other hand the home nations do also compete individually across a number of sports.  

One of those sports is Football.  The British Home Nations are not the only examples of non-sovereign countries taking their place in FIFA, World Football's governing body.  The Faroe Islands have been FIFA members since 1988.  They are still officially part of the Danish realm, despite voluntarily reducing their subsidy from Denmark in recent years.  Despite ceasing to be a British Overseas Territory in 1997, Hong Kong still retains it's own National Football Team despite now being part of China.  

Of course, the best topical example of a non-sovereign country becoming part of the International Football Family is the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, who were formally accepted into UEFA (European Football's Governing Body) earlier this year.  Ironically, Gibraltar's accession into UEFA has been during a year in which Britain's ongoing dispute with Spain over the territory has been heated at times.

So back to Quebec.  If Quebec continues to stay within the Canadian Confederation, should the Quebecans become FIFA members?  As a football fan, I say why not!

Ullswater's Unique Beauty

With the exception of my native Merseyside, my favourite corner of England is the Lake District.  I would estimate that I have visited the Lakes nearly every year for over a decade now, even if it has been just for a short break.  In that period of time I have got to know the area reasonably well, and know most of the main roads in and around the Lake District National Park.  

The part of the English Lakes I regard as my favourite is Ullswater, which is the second largest lake.  For me it is the most beautiful, and what I find particularly appealing is the limited commercialisation.  The lake has two main villages on it's shores.  There is Pooley Bridge to the North, and Glenridding to the South West.  

If you love your walking, you will not be disappointed.  There are a range of walks available around the lake.  One small walk I have identified is from Glenridding to Lanty's Tarn.  As demonstrated by some of the shots below, some of the scenery can only be described as breathtaking.

Rather than take the walk straight back down to Glenridding, why not then take a small detour towards the path to Helvellyn?

And then you can find your way back into the Village via the Pub!

For those who like to relax there is always the option of the Ullswater Steamer boat which runs each day between Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, and the small hamlet of Howtown on the quieter eastern shore. 

Glenridding and Pooley Bridge are both nice villages with a good choice of pubs or hotel bars which are open to non-residents.  

If you do go on the Steamer, a small stop off at Howtown is a must.  On my most recent visit I briefly visited the Howtown Hotel, which gave me an experience I can only describe as timeless, serving a nice local beer from a hatch.

With views like this, what's keeping you from Ullswater?