Veronica Newman of the Campaign for an English Parliament suggests size is no impediment to the case for an English Parliament.

Veronica Newman of the Campaign for an English Parliament had an excellent letter in the Western Daily Press on April 29th.  It was a rebuttal of a previous correspondent’s claim that due to the size and population of England an English Parliament would lead to an unstable United Kingdom.  The letter contains pertinent and illuminating facts about some of the states making up the federal systems of other major nations.

Below is Veronica Newman’s letter as published in the Western Daily Press.

Size not important in democracy fight.

In his letter of April 21, Robert Craig asserts that there will never be an English Parliament as England would need to become independent from the UK and due to the size of England’s population a federation would be unstable.

I would like to draw Robert Craig’s attention to some countries which currently have federal systems that function perfectly well even with states of very different sized populations:

USA – Largest state California population 39,250,017, smallest state Alaska population 739,828

Canada – Largest state Ontario population 13,448,494, smallest state Yukon population 35,874

Germany – Largest state North-Rhine Westphalia population 17,904,65, smallest state Saarland population 1,027,700

I venture to suggest that size does not matter in the case of a parliament for England, in a federation it would be unable to dictate to the other states and there is no prerequisite for independence.

Veronica Newman
The Campaign for an English Parliament
Trowbridge, Wiltshire

As a further example I would add Australia to Veronica Newman’s list.  Of its six States, New South Wales has the largest population at 7,757,800, which is 32% of the nation’s population while Tasmania, the smallest, has a population of 519,800 making up only 2% of the total.

Cadbury Castle, near Sparkford, in South Somerset. A tremendous Iron Age hill fort.

Cadbury Castle, one of the most impressive hill forts in Britain, is just south of the A303 only a couple of miles from Sparkford.  I followed the signs from Sparkford to South Cadbury where the Castle looms above the village from which it takes its name.  A short distance past the church is a small car park for the use of those visiting the Castle; it is only a few yards from the steep and stony, tree lined lane up to the fortress.

Cadbury Castle an Iron Age hill fort, near Sparkford, in South Somerset.  This view was taken from the north.

Climbing the steep track through the defences of this impressive Iron Age hill fort is well worth the effort as the views are magnificent.  At the 502ft high summit is a monumental stone pointing out geographical features and the distances to them. 

To the north-west is Glastonbury Tor with the Mendip Hills and Brent Knoll beyond while to the south-west is Ham Hill and its war memorial.  Alfred’s Tower is 10 miles to the north-east on the Somerset side of the border with Wiltshire.

The view to the south west from the summit of Cadbury Castle.

Pevsner describes Cadbury Castle as: “A tremendous Iron Age Camp covering 18 acres.  It is the mightiest prehistoric camp in Somerset, and one of the mightiest in Britain.  The fortress is three-sided, guarded by no less than four huge banks and ditches.  In places the height of the bank is over 40ft above the bottom of the ditch.” 

Arthur Mee in his The King’s England, Somerset (Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1927) writes: “To the south its grassy slope is gentle, but to the north are ditches and ramparts strengthened with stone walls, now half-buried and overgrown with trees and bushes.”

A section of Cadbury Castle's defensive banks and ditches.

Cadbury Castle is also a candidate, among many, to be King Arthur’s fabled Camelot. Amongst the evidence is Arthur’s Well on the eastern side of the fortress.  King Arthur’s Hunting Causeway, still in use as a bridle path in the early twentieth century, links the Castle to Glastonbury Tor which many believe to be the Isle of Avalon.  The significantly named River Cam, a tributary of the Yeo, flows nearby.  Sally Jones in her Legends of Somerset, (Bossiney Books, 1984) states: “In one legend Cadbury is hollow and King Arthur and his Knights sleep in the great cavern, waiting for the day when they will awake and save England.”  With conflict spreading around the world that day might not be far off!

Shudrick Valley on the eastern fringe of Ilminster in South Somerset. Saved for future generations to enjoy.

Well done to the stalwart campaigners from the Save Shudrick Valley Group (SSVG) who have succeeded in saving the valley from development, thus ensuring that future generations can enjoy this picturesque little corner of South Somerset.

The view to the east from the footpath along the floor of the Shudrick Valley.

A Planning Inspector has dismissed an appeal by developers against a decision by South Somerset District Council to reject a plan to build 220 houses in the Shudrick Valley on the eastern fringe of Ilminster.  

To read a statement from the SSVG check out this link to an article from the Ilminster Press:

http://www.ilminsterpress.co.uk/blog/2017/04/11/ilminster-news-shudrick-valley-saved-as-appeal-is-rejected/

West of England mayoral election - sadly there is no candidate from the English Democrats. However, Stephen Morris steps up to the plate in Greater Manchester.

As someone who lived in Bristol for 60 years before moving to Somerset, I take a passing interest in the West of England Mayoral election – in effect an election for a mayor of Greater Bristol.  It is a pity there is no candidate from the English Democrats.  However, I am pleased to see tireless campaigner Stephen Morris is standing for the English Democrats in the Greater Manchester mayoral election.

In a recent interview he gave to Mancunnionmatters I noted three of his policy statements with which I entirely agree.

He opposes building on the green belt and proposes all new planning applications would have to include solar panels on residential property and industrial units. 

He is against hospital car-parking charges saying: "We already pay for hospitals with our taxes.  Parking charges are an attack on the sick injured and vulnerable and we can't have it".

Regarding the Green Party he suggests that their "open border policy" makes it not such an environmentally friendly party as it would seem. 

For Mancunnionmatters entire article on Stephen Morris, the English Democrats' candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, here is a link: 

http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/070476566-interview-i-want-manchester-be-place-%E2%80%93-english-democrats-mayoral-election

Willett Tower, a folly near Elworthy, in Somerset's Brendon Hills.

Willett Tower, near Elworthy, in Somerset’s Brendon Hills is within the Forestry Commission’s Willett Hill Plantation.  The entrance to the plantation is on the B3224 just 4.9 miles west of the junction with the A358.  On the last day of March, I found it a very pleasant drive along a gently twisting and undulating road with primroses on the banks and one suicidal pheasant which I managed to safely avoid!

Willett Tower, near Elworthy, in Somerset's Brendon Hills.

There is a small parking area at the plantation entrance which gives access to a steady but steepening climb up the 825 feet high Willett Hill to the Tower.  As you climb the track, stop and look back to the east and north-east to enjoy, while catching your breath, the views over the tree tops to the Quantock Ridge.

The ridge of the Quantock Hills viewed from the track leading to Willett Tower. 

The folly tower is meant to represent the ruined tower of a Somerset church.  I have come across several suggestions as to who it was built for, but I will quote Pevsner who states it was:  “. . . a folly tower erected in 1820 (by Mr Belmerton, probably in connection with Willetts, a house further NE)”.

Regrettably, what started off as a sunny day with scattered cloud turned into a grey and slightly drizzly afternoon.   It was not really the best conditions for photography, but at least I got some exercise.       

Veronica Newman of the Campaign for an English Parliament asks if Gordon Brown's latest plan to keep Scotland in the UK has a price worth paying.

Activists from the Campaign for an English Parliament have obviously been busy with pen and paper as another letter appears in the Western Daily Press, this time from Veronica Newman.

Gordon Brown has popped up again with yet another plan to keep Scotland in the same Union as Wales, Northern Ireland and "the Regions".  "The Regions" being, of course, England but we all know Mr Brown finds mentioning the "E" word extremely uncomfortable. 

Be that as it may, Veronica Newman asks if the price of Gordon Brown's plan is worth paying.  Here is her letter published on March 23rd.

Is price of this plan worth us paying?

Gordon Brown has proposed a patriotic third way for Scotland in exchange for it remaining in the UK.

This includes giving Holyrood the authority to sign treaties with other EU countries, control after Brexit of the £800 million they currently contribute to the EU, control over fisheries, agriculture, environmental regulation, employment and energy and the authority to set VAT.

On top of this he wants the Barnett Formula to remain in place and the Bank of England to become the Bank of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. One has to ask is the price being demanded one worth paying.

Not only does Gordon Brown want Scotland to have its cake and eat it too he also has the effrontery to propose that EU powers be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Irish assemblies and the regions. By regions it must assumed he means England.

What then will be a patriotic option for England?

Oh yes, that would be an English Parliament.

Veronica Newman
Campaign for an English Parliament Trowbridge, Wiltshire



I entirely agree with the sentiments expressed but, as readers of this blog know, I would prefer independence for both England and Scotland.  Perhaps all the nations making up the UK should have a referendum as suggested in this letter below, published in the Western Daily Press  on March 27th.

I hope England opts for independence
I sympathise with Veronica Newman of the Campaign for an English Parliament when she questions whether Gordon Brown’s recently suggested proposals– or should that be bribes – to keep Scotland in the UK come with a price worth paying ( Western Daily Press March 23). Any such price would, of necessity, be paid by England and English taxpayers.

As far as the future of the UK is concerned, I rather liked the eminently reasonable idea suggested by Piers Morgan when, after a heated discussion about Scottish independence on GMB, he said: “I think if we allow Scotland to have another referendum so soon after the last one then, at the same time, there should be a referendum in England, and Wales, and Northern Ireland.”

Let’s see which nations choose the road to independence – I certainly hope England is one of them.

S.W.
Ilminster, Somerset

Ian Holt of the Campaign for an English Parliament hopes the Scottish people "vote for independence and have done with it."

In this letter to the Western Daily Press, published on March 18th, Ian Holt of the Campaign for an English Parliament reflects the growing feeling of exasperation in England toward never-ending demands from the Scottish National Party.

Time to give Scots their independence 
Nicola Sturgeon wants another Scottish independence referendum. This time I hope they vote for independence and have done with it.

The British state has bent over backwards for Scotland over the last 20 years – at the expense of England.

Theresa May should give England its own parliament and government. If she does not, she may find that we English will start to demand an independence referendum of our own.

Ian Holt

Campaign for an English Parliament, Hucclecote, Gloucester

I sympathise with Mr Holt's view, but I doubt if Scotland could maintain its current level of public spending outside of the UK and would soon be looking south for assistance.  I wrote this letter in response and am pleased to say it was published in the Western Daily Press on March 21st.

Either way the Scots will get our cash
I sympathise with Ian Holt of the Campaign for an English Parliament when he hopes Nicola Sturgeon’s new shot at Scottish independence succeeds ( Western Daily Press March 18).

English taxpayers’ money heading north of the border as a result of the British Government’s allocation of public funds through the Barnett Formula should stop if Scotland becomes a foreign country. However, I suspect a newly independent Scotland would doubtless qualify for shedloads of money from the Department for International Development’s burgeoning £12 billion foreign aid budget.

Whether Scotland votes for independence or not, English taxes might still be filling Scottish coffers!

S.W.
Ilminster, Somerset