An English Parliament: An Idea whose Time Has Come?
An English Parliament: An Idea whose Time Has Come?
Ever since devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, one proposed answer to the English Question has been to create symmetry by establishing an English Parliament. This has been widely seen as a fringe proposal—with many arguing that England is too big and is already well represented by what has long been its Parliament, that is, Westminster. But in recent years, interest in an English Parliament has grown. The idea has its own campaign group and has gained support from UK Independence Party (UKIP) and some in the Conservative and Labour Parties. This chapter explores the history of the English Parliament idea, examines two competing visions of a English Parliament—the ‘separately elected’ and ‘dual mandate’ models—and considers a range of largely unexplored questions about what an English Parliament would look like and what implications it would have for Westminster and for the territorial stability of the UK.
Keywords: English Parliament, Devolution, English Question, Westminster, UKIP
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