A Pointless Debate!

Yes, I am talking about The Campaign for an English Parliament; I know my colleagues have blogged on this before:

Here - Here - and Here

I would just like to put things into a little perspective from a layman's point of view. But first I think you should know where we are coming from; a commenter accused us of being "little Scotlanders" recently, here is my reply to that load of nonsense. We are a diverse bunch of friends who, in the main, see ourselves as European.

So, what is the campaign really all about, well the Campaign for an English Parliament website states:-

"There has been a decisive resurgence in English self-identification and
awareness. This tide will not be turned back. The English flag is now
everywhere. Love of England is as legitimate as love of Scotland and Wales. The people of England includes everyone for whom England is both their home and future, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion and culture. For our nation our own parliament is our constitutional right."

Funny I thought that the English Flag belonged to the BNP and the neo-fascists these days; but whatever. The We Are The English website provides more or less the same message:-

"We need our own parliament to stand up for the rights of the English people and to run along side the UK parliament at Westminster; as the Welsh, Scottish and Irish already have. You cannot complain about things unless you are prepared to do something about it and nothing will be done unless people are prepared to stand up and be counted."

So, there we have it, it is very much a "you've got it, we want it" point of view; I am sure that it is much more complex than that, but that is exactly how I see it as being put across. However this debate has a history which goes back a very long way indeed.

Now as a fervent Cornishman I could make a very good argument for Cornwall having its own Parliament, especially given the many ways in which it has been buggered by the English for so long. Oh, I forgot Cornwall has had its own Parliament for a few centuries now - the Cornish Stannary Parliament. But I am not a Cornish Nationalist I am far to pragmatic for that; however I do agree that there is an English Conspiracy!

In conclusion, why do I say it is a pointless debate? Because it will never happen, a little judicious searching this morning came up with numerous articles to prove my point so I will give you just one of them chosen at random.