The Suicide of Britain. Shocking as this sounds, this was the title of an op-ed piece in the New York Times two days after the general election. The article warned that the forces of nationalism were now on the brink of overwhelming the 300-year-old union. It was not wrong.
The election, and the Scottish referendum 8 months before, have sent a message loud and clear from all parts of this island that the constitutional status quo is no longer tenable. However, this is more than just a case of rampant nationalism. The country as a whole, all of it, rejects and repudiates the Westminster bubble. Those Labour activists knocking on doors during the referendum will know what we mean when we say that the anti-Westminster feeling in Scotland was all too familiar. It was the same angry disenchantment found on doorsteps in Doncaster and Dudley, not just Dundee. It is now clear that the defining mission of the future and of our party is nothing short of a constitutional revolution to save the United Kingdom. Like every cause worth fighting for it will be a struggle of the highest order. It will be a desperate battle and carry the most enormous risks. It will involve actually leading people not just listening.
The ‘vow’, the Kelvin Commission and the Silk Commission were all about powers to the nations, but have done nothing to address our country’s rotten, increasingly irrelevant core. Yes, devolution has caused deep imbalances in our constitution. Of course there must be changes so that English members of parliament can scrutinise England-only legislation, but in reality there are only a few truly England-only pieces of legislation. ‘English votes for English laws’ is just the sort of divisive, wedge-driving populist dissimulation the Tories would champion. The imbalances in our constitution goes beyond that and now mean that London members of parliament vote on Yorkshire issues such as transport, but Yorkshire members of parliament do not have a say on London’s. The answer cannot be one that demotes members of parliament from other parts of our country and creates constitutional chaos, with different majorities needed depending on the given issue.
Therefore the answer to these problems lies in devolution within England itself – moving power away from the centre. A devolution that is more than just money and city deals. A devolution, which is more radical and far reaching than we have ever contemplated before. Ignore what happened before, in another political age when Scotland was painted political red and Labour understood middle England – regional government is back. While the Tories and SNP promote politics of division in order to secure power, our abiding mission will be winning power to give it away. Let the forces of conservatism and nationalism play north against south, England against Scotland, rich against poor, and public against private. We will recognise the strength of our common endeavour as a union whilst pushing power down beyond national assemblies and town halls. Putting power as close to citizens as possible as the only sensible policy in this age of permanent technological revolution.
We must also understand that nationalism, be it the SNP version or the English brand the Tories have created, is a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. The real issue continues to be disenchantment with our system and if we are honest the failure of Labour to connect with the voters who swept it to power in three successive elections. Labour’s founding father Keir Hardie, a Scot, said that our fight is not with a class but against a system. He argued that we must offer a platform broad enough for all to stand upon. Such a platform exists that reflects our party’s values. It is greater and more expansive than what Sturgeon or Cameron offer. A confident vision that is resilient and outward looking. An idea that embraces those of many identities. On its platform and with its values we created institutions such as the National Health Service – and won conflicts to protect the freedoms it stands for. It won a referendum in Scotland and dominated the 2012 Olympic Games. It is Britishness.
The article ‘The Suicide of Britain’ lamented that no one was making the argument for our country’s future. That no one was leading the charge for Britain. This is strange, not because support for Britain is so weak, but because the reality is if it were articulated properly its strength would be unbeatable. It is the British mantle that Labour must pick up. Championing a Britishness built on the values of tolerance, creativity, fair play and an outward looking approach to the world. Yes, there is a big tent for Labour to use on the path back to government. Attlee and Blair used it before. Its name is Britannia.
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Michael Payne is former parliamentary candidate for Newark and tweets at @MichaelPayneUK
Tim Roca is former parliamentary candidate for Macclesfield and tweets at @TimRoca85
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People have little time to study the issues, so often don’t know the detail. They expect quick and easy answers, which they find in the press and, using the internet, find it quick and easy to allocate blame.
Education is the only way out of this. We have to raise people’s understanding and have more informed debate.
It’s not surprising that there is a disconnect between what people believe and what the truth is, between what they expect and what can be delivered.
Three fifths of the daily newspapers sold are either the Sun, Mail or Star:
http://www.nrs.co.uk/downloads/pdf/download.php?filename=newspapers_201412.pdf
What chance do they have of knowing the truth?
You argue for “A devolution, which is more radical and far reaching”. I think you are right. Devolution brings power and responsibility closer to people, and the press will have less influence on that. Besides, locally online is how we can reach the public.
“Let the forces of conservatism and nationalism play north against south, England against Scotland…” So instigating regional assemblies in England, against the wishes of just about the entire English population, isn’t a divide-and-rule tactic? Give me strength. One reason among many for the defeat in the general election is that the people of England feel that the Labour party doesn’t trust England, much less actually like England. When we see politicians, academics and others treat England as just a bunch of regions, while the people see England as a nation, it’s easy to see people snubbing Labour again. When Labour loses its fear and loathing of England and Englishness, starts to see England as a nation and tries to create a positive English identity, with specifically English (that means ALL of England) political and civic institutions, the party might begin to get somewhere. But creating pan-England institutions should be considered a means to an end, not an end in itself. It ill behoves us to attack other parties for being divisive while being divisive ourselves. Labour needs to be the party of unity and solidarity right across England.
You raise some worrying issues here. It could all go very wrong, for example with the south east increasingly thinking of itself as a separate country. In fact, it’s not a place I could ever afford to move to now.
On the other hand, Labour did devolve some powers, such as Regional Development Agencies – now back in the centre. Manchester and Leeds, together with other Northern cities, are more likely to make better decisions for their integration since they know the issues.
I don’t understand what you mean by your fear and loathing comment.
More and more voters in Scotland see Britannia as the problem rather than the answer. The centrifugal forces, chieflly varying voting patterns and the the M25ism of the Westminster/Whitehall establishment are destroying it.
More importantly, the centripetal forces which once kept the U.K. together grow weaker and weaker; forces such as the empire, the effect of two world wars, the destruction of the industrial working class and the weakening of the trade union movement based on heavy industry, and the destruction of the welfare state and health service in England and Wales.
I can only see this ending one way. The only questions are when and how.
Yes, devolution is the key to making this country strong once more. We could look at a system that our forefarthers invented and has stood the test of time, that of Germany’s. It works reasonably well for them, no reason why not here except…too many in the Labour Party and Conservative Party lust after executive power. That is the truth, isn’t it? No one party would ever rule again on 37% of the vote.
Time to take a big, adult leap and accept that coalition is not such a bad thing. Blair would have made a coalition with the Libdems, would it really have made so much difference? Perhaps Iraq might have been avoided? And who would not prefer the Libdems not to be in coalition with the Tories now? They acted as a big brake on the most balmy Tory policies in the last parliament. And there is another thing, our parliament! It is falling down and its form determines a that a petty adversariel politics is played out, much to the disgust of the British people.
We need a new regionally develoved UK, a new Parliament and proportional system that encourages participation by all members of parliament.
Are we brave enough to make the jump and change Britains constitution and democracy for the better? Fairness for all? Nah.