What England needs

Rich Speight (Hull): The test of Gordon Brown and Jack Straw's constitutional thinking which you are currently debating in OurKingdom and openDemocracy is whether, as I fear, they are still wedded to the notion that they can use the overwhelming power of the Crown in Parliament to institute social change, even if its powers are written down. A bigger problem, though, is that the alternatives are undoubtedly unpalatable. The current England-only parties have much in common with the likes of UKIP and even the BNP: they are anti-immigration (or anti-Muslim), anti-regional, anti-European and pro-monarchy. They fly the Union Jack but with the blue bits removed from the flag. They offer no real solutions for this age of multi-level governance and ignore the diverse regional and ethno-cultural make-up of England as it is today. They offer no analysis of the monarchical power structures of the UK and instead see only a cabal of Scots and Eurocrats running/ruining their country. We in England need a progressive republican patriotism based on innovative institutions and cosmopolitan citizenship, not petty jingoism. I love the Scots and the Welsh, they should be England’s best friends in a modern Europe, and I just don’t think we English have any business ruling them! I look forward to the formation of progressive English republican party along the lines of the SNP and Plaid. Perhaps they could offer their expertise and resources in the formation of such a party - it could only advance their cause.