“Universal peace will be impossible, so long as the present centralised states exist. We must desire their destruction in order that, on the ruins of these forced unions organised from above by right of authority and conquest, there may arise free unions organised from below by the free federations of localities into provinces, of provincesContinueContinue reading “Lesser Lands?: A Postscript”
Category Archives: Local Government
Lesser Lands?
Still, after all these years, we get comments to the effect that regionalists don’t understand the English love of the shires and therefore the instinctive resistance that is provoked by regionalism. It’s a straw man argument, based on what may have been said by the Labour Party about phasing out county councils. We have alwaysContinueContinue reading “Lesser Lands?”
Punishing The Toys
Windsor Castle is home to more than a few of the 1,200 items of ivory in the Royal Collection. The 1,200 items that Prince William would like to have destroyed as a gesture against poachers in Africa. Never mind that he’s not above (legally) shooting the odd bit of wildlife himself. The fact is thatContinueContinue reading “Punishing The Toys”
Tarzan’s Monkey Cage
Localism. What does it mean? It seems to mean that local communities can decide whatever they like but if they ever make the wrong decision, as judged from London, they will be severely punished for doing so. And will know that they jolly well deserve it too. Who’s a naughty community then? George Osborne announcedContinueContinue reading “Tarzan’s Monkey Cage”
Write Lines
Although politicians from the London parties routinely associate the words ‘education’ and ‘choice’, the thing most striking about their policies is that they offer the electorate no choice at all. Would you guess, from following the roll-out of academies and free schools, the constant undermining of local democratic choice, which party was in power? TheContinueContinue reading “Write Lines”
Here We Go Again
The regions are being rebuilt, even under the Coalition. Last week a consultation began on the formation of a ‘combined authority’ for Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. It will take over transport, economic development and regeneration powers from the seven member councils. It’s almost the regional assembly all over again, and will be ifContinueContinue reading “Here We Go Again”
Eric the Ostrich
The Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has an assured place in history as the man who oversaw the first regulations to officially recognise the flag of Wessex. Although the Wyvern has a long pedigree, the current design of the flag dates from 1974, meaning that it took just 38 years to go from an idea toContinueContinue reading “Eric the Ostrich”
Winners & Losers
Writers on Bristol, from the Rev. George Heath in the 18th century to Bryan Little in the 20th, have seen in it ‘the London of the West’, a city that would dearly love to outshine its larger rival but is not above copying its every move. So ‘a Boris for Bristol’ stands firmly in thatContinueContinue reading “Winners & Losers”
The Right to Decide
During the summer we briefly mentioned here the Commission on a Bill of Rights, specifically its consultation on what rights should be included in such a Bill, if the Coalition agrees that it would like one.The consultation ends this weekend; the following is the response we have submitted:“The Wessex Regionalist Party wishes to respond toContinueContinue reading “The Right to Decide”
Responsibility Without Power
We are grateful to an MK blogger in Penzance for a careful analysis of what the Coalition’s pseudo-localism means in practice. It amounts to devolving the running of services, and the making of cuts to them, without devolving the money that used to pay for them. Local politicians get the blame for the consequences, while central governmentContinueContinue reading “Responsibility Without Power”
Wessex Regionalists 