AN ENGLISH PARLIAMENT?

With a possible referendum on further powers for the National Assembly at some point in the near future, it is interesting to note that support is growing for an English parliament. Whether this is motivated as the Daily Telegraph (2nd March 2010), has suggested as English voters increasingly feel shortchanged by the amount of public money sent to Scotland, or because the Westminster Parliament is mired and tainted with sleaze, has lost its focus or seems particularly distant to English voters is open to question. A report, published by the think tank IPPR with NatCen, a social research institute, on attitudes 10 years on from devolution in Scotland and Wales suggests that support is growing for an English parliament similar to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh

The reports findings have revealed that 40 per cent of people in England feel that Scotland receives more than its fair share of public funds - an increase from 22 per cent in 2003. With just under half of those asked believing that England's laws should continue to be made at Westminster and 29 per cent now back a new parliament for the country. The number of people supporting an English parliament increased from 18 per cent to 29 per cent in 10 years. The report interestingly enough, shows that support was strongest among those who described themselves as English rather than British. The findings were based on interviews between June and November last year among 980 people living in England.