Do you think we should break up the UK and have an independent England?

Question

I do think it is unfair that Wales and Scotland have assemblies and we don't.

Answer 1

Yes, get the moaning Scots off our backs.

Answer 2

While I actually support an independent Scotland I think realistically that a total breakup of the UK would be in no ones interest. The British government is a major player on the global stage, a key member of the G8 countries and a member of the Security Council and a major influence within the EU. Somehow I don't think an independent England would be afforded the same international respect. The Armed Forces would be decimated if they were to rely only on English citizens. The economy would suffer as there would be no income from North Sea oil and gas. Finally I suspect the problem of illegal immigration would get worse. Scotland has a relatively easily policed border with England and any clampdown on the border would convince illegals it wasn't worth the risk and they would stay in England.

Answer 3

England is at the wrong end of a lot of political unfairness and something needs to be done about it urgently.

The issues include:-
1. "The West Lothian Question" i.e. MPs from other parts of the United Kingdom can vote on matters in Parliament affecting England alone where these matters have been devolved to regional level elsewhere in the United Kingdom. This is made worse because there are more voters per MP in England than in other parts of the United Kingdom (particularly Wales).
2. English voters are denied local control of matters like health that have been develoved in Scotland and Wales, and indeed almost everywhere else in the European Union.
3. Financial settlements to local government and organisations like the NHS instituionalise discirmination against the English, which results for instance in better funding of the elderly in Scotland and of university students. Incidentally, one may comment that this diversion of funding, which has taken place over many years, appears often to have led to a dependency culture in Scotland and Wales rather than economic development and growth (see the Irish Republic for what could happen) in those countries.
4. The whole United Kingdom has one European Commissioner when much smaller states have a Commissioner each. European Commissioners have a lot of power.

The above four issues need to be addressed urgently, but breaking up the United Kingdom is not the only way to achieve them. An obvious alternative would be a federal state of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (I will avoid the issues that arise here), or one could have devolution to all English areas on a genuinely regional basis respecting cultural traditions. Specifically, the South East region is larger than most other European political countries and "doughnutting" London is an unacceptable gerrymander. More positively, age-old political entities such as Cornwall and Kent (including the Medway Towns) should be recognised. Breaking up the UK would cause a lot of pain I would not wish to see, but it would be better than the present situation.

If you want an independent England, you have to address international issues such as whether England would be in the EU, and whether other countries would accept the solutions you prefer to these issues.

Finally, constitutional change for England is needed as a matter of principle. It happens that in the short term such change would probably be disadvantageous for somebody with my personal views on social and economic policy. However, a government or party that puts short-term electoral power before the democratic principles underlying fairness for England is in my opinion not worth voting for.

Answer 4

No

Here in Wales we have the assembly which is fine for all those living around Cardiff, but us poor needy souls in North Wales never or at least very rarely get a look in.

Answer 5

Yes and no. I wish we were an indepaendent state away from the rest of Europe but that throws up a lot of other arguments. I don't like our laws being made by a load of non British people in some forum in Europe. We have our own culture and think we should hang on to it with our bare nails.

Answer 6

So the UK is a tiny place anyway, when will the division stop?

So yeah, all of you 'outside of England', lobby your way out control, and the financial benefits it brings, and I'd love to see how you make 'ends meet'.

I imagine many places to then be like an 'out of season Cornwall', no industry to speak of, low wages, a bit higher cost of living, etc.

Try and fund your next hospital etc then....would love to see your individual income tax rates....

Answer 7

Yes. The Welsh and Scots don't like us, they need us though to pay for their unemployment and especially the Scots, all the stuff Gordon Brown has given them. They need us, we don't need them. The oil in the North Sea is declining, we don't need the Welsh mines. The wealth is generated in England, lets keep it, they won't be constantly slagging us off when they are begging for EU grants or begging us.

Answer 8

I would like to know if you think there would be an advantage to doing that.

if it were not part of GB and UK then those bloody Americans would annex it for another state.

At least wait until Blair is out of office for a while.

Answer 9

Yes I do then we might not have Scots in charge of ENGLAND. The way the whole system is set up is totally biased against English people

Answer 10

No.......although some may make some good points why they should.

I think the old saying, together remain strong, and divided we fall, and I think that there would be quite a lot of complications if we did split. I think its sad as well, surely it would be better to simply celebrate our differences instead. And move onwards and upwards in solidarity?

Answer 11

Actually (to the answer above) I am a Welsman and I think it's a ridiculous idea. And any Welsh or Scottish folk who can't see how detrimental that it would be, haven't got the brains with which they were born.

I obviously got my thumbs down from an intelligent individual who has really thought this through.