Gareth Young (Lewes, CEP): Gordon Brown, The Bard of Britishness, these days more of a Clown Prince, has been waiting and waiting for the Conservatives to play the English card so his backbenchers could scream 'nasty party' and accuse the Tories of 'fanning the flames of English nationalism' or 'breaking up the Union'. But it hasn't come, the Conservatives understand that Brown's Scottishness has dealt them a great hand and they intend to keep raising while the Mail and Telegraph go out to bat on their behalf. Gordon so desperately wants to paint New Labour as the 'Party of the Union' but right now it doesn't seem like much of a party, and even less of a union; the Barnett Formula is now coming to be seen as a tax on being English, and the West Lothian Question waits ominously in the wings while the Democracy Task Force delays its report from Spring to Summer to Christmas.
Even worse is the fact that in Scotland Gordon is widely reviled for his pathetic attempts to curry favour with the English, whilst in England he is just a mealy-mouthed Scot peddling a hollow - HistoryLite - version of Britishness in a vain attempt to cover up both his own Scottishness and a botched asymmetric constitution. It was never meant to like this. Backtrack to his 1975 Red Paper on Scotland and we see that his understanding of Scottish nationalism was that it was less a desire for Scottish independence and more a desire for Socialist emancipation; a Scotland free from the political constraints imposed upon it by the politics of Middle England:
"We suggest that the rise of modern Scottish nationalism is less an assertion of Scotland’s permanence as a nation than a response to Scotland’s uneven development … the discontent is a measure of the failure of both Scottish and British socialists to advance far and fast enough in shifting the balance of wealth and power to working people."
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In a sense this dream has been realised because the Scottish people have ditched New Labour and voted in their droves for the socialist SNP, a party that can promise the Earth content in the knowledge that the English will blame Brown for the resulting inequities and their empty wallets. On the positive side, despite backbench Tory jibes, David Cameron has no plans to revise the Barnett Formula - that can wait until he is in Government. Just like Brown, and Tony Blair before him, Cameron sees the Formula as a small price to pay to keep the Union together. Barnett is the glue that binds Scotland to England - a bribe to keep Scotland British - and the prospect of a Conservative government with no Scottish MPs to draw upon is one that must fill Cameron with dread: 'Bought and sold for English gold' should be the mantra of the Shadow cabinet. More than that the Formula is an essential part of Cameron's plans, any move towards fiscal autonomy for the devolved nations leaves England as the exception and it would be unconstitutional for a UK Executive and Parliament containing non-English members to decide how England spends its money; there has to be accountability. In short, fiscal federalism demands political federalism. Or, to put it another way, no Barnett Formula means that English Votes on English Matters is simply not good enough.
For Cameron and Brown England is Britain in matters political and financial, and the devolved Governments and their budgets are but semi-autonomous parts of Greater England. That unionist conflation of England and Britain, and the manifest unfairness that it has resulted in, is under attack from the Tory and Lib Dem backbenches without either frontbench having to explicitly tackle the issue themselves. The English Question is no longer the preserve of academic tomes or the English nationalist bloggers, it is a live political issue that could well be the defining issue of this parliament, and even the satirists are having a field day at Gordon's expense.
Gordon is in a tricky position, the Bard of Britishness finds himself in a pincer movement, caught between England and Scotland. Increasing English spending to match that of Scotland would bankrupt Britain, and besides which it would result in a subsequent windfall for the SNP Government. Reducing Scotland's share could cost him votes in his own backyard and leave him open to accusations that he is tightening the purse strings only because it is the SNP and not Scottish Labour that is in power. No, the English just have to accept that preferential treatment for the Scots, in terms of both financing and voting privileges on English affairs, is a price worth paying for the continuance of the Union, and it falls to a Scottish PM and his poodle Chancellor to explain this to England. Alex Salmond will be working around the clock to ensure that they are made to do so. This is not fair dealing and the English won't accept it. Whereas before devolution we were - for all intents and purposes - a unitary state, the UK is now no longer one nation. Given that the Scots now enjoy autonomy in areas such as Health it is not unreasonable for the English to demand that they also assume financial autonomy. The social contract between the English and Scottish people has broken down undermining the basis of the Union's welfare state, and that particular loss of confidence is one almighty nail in the coffin of Britishness.
Comments
[...] week, over at Our Kingdom, I said: Gordon Brown, The Bard of Britishness, these days more of a Clown Prince, has been [...]
[...] For those of you that haven’t already read it I have a post up on Our Kingdom. [...]
Hi Janice,
I can only implore you to think again. You need to understand that people like me (and dare I say Alex Salmond) will ensure that this English Grand Committee, if ever implemented, will not work. In fact we will use the asymmetry, inequities and anomalies that result from it as a crowbar to wrench the Union asunder.
It will not be difficult. I've laid out my objections to the plan here.
There's no compromise position when it comes to democracy and constitutional equality. I'm not asking, I'm demanding. The only union that is acceptable to me is a union of nations based upon democratic fairness, equality and equal constitutional recognition of my nationality.
We'll have an English parliament within the Union or without. If the only way to achieve our aims is the dissolution of the UK then that is the course of action that we will persue.
I think you will be surprised just how fast we can make this happen if an English Grand Committee is ever convened.
I studied the facts! An English grand committee couldn't even set the Westminster parliamentary timetable so all new labour would have to do is stall on English issues time and time again. Nothing would get sorted out. This English grand committee has no power! The idea is pointless! The only answer to the West Lothian question and the Barnett formula is an English parliament and executive! We want it now!
Someone stated that the England grand committee is a "stepping stone" to an English parliament! Firstly, I love the positive attitude. Secondly, why do the English (and only the English) need to go through a stepping stone phase? The scots, welsh and n irish didnt have to qualify for their political institutions! They didn't need to be validated. Infact when I think about it, the welsh people voted 49.5% against and just 50.5% for their assembly (or something like it) Not many welsh people wanted a welsh assembly, but they still got it anyway! Well over 60% of English people have consistently voted for an English parliament (when asked in polls) and we still haven't got one! As far as voting goes, the English have more justification for having a parliament than the welsh do for having an assembly.
If I remember rightly, the scots only got 67% voting for a scottish parliament. The English have been voting yes to the English parliament - when asked in polls. If I remember rightly, the last poll was at 65% for an English parliament and yet we are still being denied our self determination!
The welsh scottish and N Irish didn't have to go through any phases os steps to acquire their parliament/assemblies! SO, WHY SHOULD THE ENGLISH?
The English grand committee situation is a farce! It is nothing more than an attempt at stalling English self determination!
"...the English just have to accept that preferential treatment for the Scots, in terms of both financing and voting privileges on English affairs, is a price worth paying for the continuance of the Union, and it falls to a Scottish PM and his poodle Chancellor to explain this to England"
We don't accept it, it isn't a price worth paying, and we don't need to have it explained to us!
"Alex Salmond will be working around the clock to ensure that they are made to do so."
Salmond is going to have a field year let alone field day! Go on Alex, get into Gordon the brown bottle job!
"Whereas before devolution we were - for all intents and purposes - a unitary state, the UK is now no longer one nation."
Well, I think the English have seen just what a (UK) nation we were before devolution! We weren't, and never have been a nation.
"Given that the Scots now enjoy autonomy in areas such as Health it is not unreasonable for the English to demand that they also assume financial autonomy"
My abiding view of the scots (and welsh) will always be the one whereby they stated that nasty English people were oppressing them! How long have English tax payers been paying Barnett formula monies to scotland (and wales)? Decades! But we were oppressing them? I don't think so. My point being that now we have the present situation they (the scots and welsh) just deny the reality of what's going on. We gave them the Barnett formula, they give us nothing. We need to do more than just demand what is rightfully ours!
"The social contract between the English and Scottish people has broken down undermining the basis of the Union’s welfare state, and that particular loss of confidence is one almighty nail in the coffin of Britishness."
I think the union got nailed years ago mate! Why are we even talking about "the union"? There is no union between scotland and England.
There is no point in nasty, vindictive, Gordon Brown whining about a situation he helped develop!
I don't think Gordon et al dislike English nationalism! I think they hate the English nation! There is a difference!
Gareth, in the absence of my party offering a solution to the English problem, I supported the CEP. However, Malcolm Rifkind has offered a solution in the form of an English Grand Committee and I am prepared to look at this solution.
I was in the audience at the Blackpool conference when Rifkind proposed this idea. It was well thought out and coming from a Scot and former Scottish Secretary of State, he does know a thing or two about the issues. He persuaded me that this proposal needs careful consideration.
Again, it is the Conservatives who are providing the solutions. Labour's devolution settlement, along with the gerrymandering of the voting systems to suit themselves, have recently backfired with a hung Welsh Assebly and the SNP taking Scotland. This is what happens when the Union is shaken.
It is no use Bottler Brown now deciding that we will have "British jobs for British people" - by signing the EU Constitution he has put paid to that idea, by talking about "Britishness" - great, when he has presided over the break up of the Union. Too little, too late Gordie. The English public are not stupid and the media is not on your side any more. You are just looking for another pr spin and your ministers who spout forth on our English proposals just look plain daft justifying a policy for the few and not the many.
Janice.
Rifkind knows a thing or two- hah! He understands so much of Scotland that he succeded in helping getting his party totally oblitarated from the political map in Scotland forever.
The man is an out of touch bafoon. An english grand commitee will be an unworkable shambles which will lead to disintigration of the british state quicker than the status quo. That this out of touch and totally removed from reality bafoon even suggests such a quick, unworkable fix tells me that Scotland made the correct choice in removing thisloony from scottish politics before he could do any more harm.
You should be more careful of who you speak to Janice. An english grand commitee can't work and won't work so don't even try it. It will decend into constitutional chaos within a year.
I agree that Scottish nationalism has always been more a desire for political emancipation via the rebirth of the Scottish parliament than - for most Scots - a desire for full blown independence . Interest and desire for Union with England
( there was brief Scottish flirtation with the idea of union with Holland but that faded to nothing )
predated 1707 by perhaps 120 years . There was always a constituency in Scotland for the idea and most of the initiatives for Union came from Scotland . The precise form of Union was ill expressed but it was assumed that it would be a confederal type of Union ie continuing separate parliaments , executives , leaders , fiscal independence and civil services .
ie Much what they are gravitating towards now .
That what both England and Scotland were bounced into a Union parliament by the English AND Scottish political managers of the day was what caused disquiet in Scotland in 1707 .
I do not see it that the Scots will go for independence
( though the English will if given the opportunity ) . What Salmond knows is that a majority of Scots would be fairly happy to settle for the old aim of confederal/federal Union and stay there
which is why he is now attempting to use the English to achieve his aim since he knows the Scots are unlikely to comply .
a very insightful commentary by one of our members.
Scilla Cullen
Chairman of the Campaign for an English Parliament
[...] Kingdom Poor GordonBill of Rights should be for everyoneTreaty powers must be more than Ponsonby [...]
As Dr.Widgoose points out " Even more of an outrage is that under the terms of the Barnett formula, a percentage of the tax revenue gained from English prescription Charges is automatically handed over to Scotland and Wales.
Why should sick and needy English people, he asked, many of whom may struggle to find the cash to pay these charges, be forced to subsidise the free healthcare in Scotland and Wales that is not available to them"?
The villains here are not Welsh and Scots MP's but English MP's who have failed miserably to represent their constituents properly.
It is a high price to pay for the poll tax being introduced one year earlier than England.
Excellent article, one of the statements mentioned which is like a mantra to Labour MPs and politicos alike, "fanning the flames of English Nationlism", I have asked various Labour MPs (via email) including my local MP "what is this English Nationlism you are so afraid of", yet after hearing the said mantra for the last 7 years not one them has come up with an answer, so if there are any MPs of any persuasion reading this please give me an answer..but if there is an English Nationlism to be afraid of it must be something really terrifying, so lets look at some home grown nationlism to compare, lets start with Mr Peter Hain MP, was he not part of S.African Nationlism, the same person who desicrated Headingly in 1983, next onto Welsh Nationlism, I seem to remember the arson of second homes belonging to English people in the early 80's, then onto the Irish Nationlists who decide to kill innocent people with remotely denotated bombs, now what possibly could English nationlists do that could compare to the afore mentioned? Oh yes demand an English Parliament, demand an end to the Barnett Formula, demand the end of health and education apartheit, bloody hell we are frightening bunch us English Nationlists are we not, the answer is none of these although in part correct, the real answer is MPs would not be able to grandstand as an MP in the British Parliament, this great union (tell that to the dieing English) they carp on about will come to an end, good riddance for all the good it is doing for England
Very good post, devolution will bite the Labour party in the bum in the following years.
Why were the nations of Wales and Scotland so important to Labour?
It would have made more sense to devolve power to the easily identifiable regions of Britain. However, they bent over backwards to ensure Scotland and Wales remained intact despite the fact it instantly created a lopsided settlement (Scotland is twice the size of Wales).
Was it because Brown, Blair and a host of other devolutionary architects were Scottish? Did they really believe the only nation left out of this arrangement would take it lying down?
Do they, in their private thoughts, regret what they've done now that Labour have lost both Scotland and Wales?
Most leaders make mistakes and must surely look back with regret over some of their decisions...but the destruction of the UK itself? Bit special that one lads, at least you'll be in all the history books.
The situation that Brown finds himself in is of his own making and he is now damned whatever he does, even if he does nothing.
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