The EU has always been determined to split England into
regions, the original European Coal and Steel Commission in 1952 set up the
first Regional definitions and regions were incorporated into the Treaty of Rome
a few years later. The full title of the the EU, rarely mentioned in this
country, is the European Union of the Regions and much has been done already -
mainly behind our backs. John Prescott maintained that regions in this country
were all his idea, his dream, but in fact there is a complete set of maps to be
seen at http://europa.eu.int/abc/maps/members/uk_en.htm
Unelected Regional Assemblies exist in all the English regions; the recent
referendum for the North-East Region asked the question “Are you in favour of an
elected Assembly?” and it was turned down with an unarguable majority. Only then
did it transpire that the Assembly already exists, they were only being asked if
they wanted to be able to elect the members.
Each Region has an Assembly; Scotland is to some extent a separate entity, it
has always been so - the Act of Union in 1707 gave Scotland the right to
maintain it’s own legal system etc, and to withdraw from the Union with England
if the population so wished.
Wales has always smarted over being annexed to England by conquest about 800
years ago, to be devolved seemed like a good idea to some - at the government’s
second attempt, 559,419 people voted for an Assembly for Wales with 552,698
against - the turnout had been only 50.12% of the population. There seems no
doubt that if the figures had
been the other way round they would have been declared invalid and a third
attempt made, after giving the public “more information”. For an excellent
example of much Welsh feeling about it’s Regional Assembly take a look at the
deserted viewing area for the opening of it’s new building:
http://caernarfononline.co.uk/march2006/assembly/
Regional government is now firmly ensconced. Each region has an unelected
Assembly which is staffed by the various councils and other ”stakeholder” bodies
in the region, and representatives of the various other government quango-offices
which have also been established in each region. “Stakeholder” is a
relatively new expression of EU origin and the cynical would say that it means
“not necessarily a democratic participant”...
Because these assemblies have a very tenuous identity, there are powerful
opinions saying that they are illegal; there is no pension provision, no
liability responsibility, no employment insurance and so on. Because of this,
and the fact that Councils are forbidden to spend taxpayers’ money for political
ends, many councils have left or are leaving the assembly structure.
Nevertheless many decisions are already being taken by these authorities and
they become increasingly powerful; they are being given planning powers (as in
John Prescott’s South-east housing projects). The government are determined to
regionalise the ambulance service, police force and fire brigade, in spite of
many objections from those services.
NUTS maps (you couldn’t make it up!) set out the regional divisions within the
EU. The eventual intention is that nations will dissolve and everything we see
points to how rapidly our government is assisting the EU with this appalling
aim.
A J Astley