English power for England

THE recent confirmation of the manner of Richard III’s death – attacked and killed on the ground – reminds us of the pivotal Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and the subsequent creation of a centralised state by Henry Tudor.

Following the Scottish referendum, the question of ultimate political power is, once again, firmly on the agenda.

Promises have been made about governance for Scotland and these must be respected but changing the relationship between Edinburgh and London also has consequences for Wales, Northern Ireland and, crucially, England. The problem revolves around the fact England is without an English-only decision-making structure and this is compounded by the capacity of the three other nations of the Kingdom being able to influence outcomes for England.

This is now qualitatively well beyond the West Lothian Question where relatively limited devolved powers could normally be effectively brokered through the old Scottish (Scotland) Office. Moreover, increasing interest in governance for England has been unleashed as a clearly perceptible sense of unfairness has taken root in England.

Three options are available. Firstly, is the idea of having a Parliament for England in addition to existing Parliaments; second are proposals for two types of MPs, so those with devolved powers back at home would not participate in purely English matters; and, third, is the empowerment of cities and counties. The second option, including elements of the third, is my preferred solution.

English power for England makes considerable sense for domestic matters such as education, health, housing, local government and culture, not least because there is a track record in respecting partial responsibilities as currently allocated to Scotland.

Strengthening city and county leadership and delivery mechanisms is already happening but through a strategy for England this could be massively enhanced. One by-product of this debate will be the increasing realisation that real political power remains in the United Kingdom as opposed to the European Union.