Regionalisation of England by stealth.

[Workingman]

Some time ago it was "announced" that Greater Manchester would get its own "Boris" Mayor. The 11 councils within GM, a Labour majority, were all for it. It has now been revealed that GM is also to get control of the NHS and social care budget under a new layer of management, the Greater Manchester Health and Wellbeing board.

Nobody has asked the people of Greater Manchester whether they want these things, probably because last time they were asked they said 'No', so they will be imposed regardless of the people's wishes.

It is almost certain that similar schemes will be unveiled for Leeds City Region/West Yorks and Birmingham/West Midlands and then it will be the turn of the North East and Avon.... It is what all the main parties want.

What they patently do not want is an English Parliament.

[Kaz]

It worries me too

[Workingman]

The new map of England will show seven or eight of these 'Regions' all separated by lesser populated swathes of the country, from Cumbria, N. Yorks, East Anglia to the South West, still controlled on a whim from Westminster. It will either be that or the City Regions will expand to take in their surrounding hinterlands.

[cromwell]

This has been on the cards since the 1992 Maastricht treaty was passed, after which the "regions" of England were created.

It is just another day in politics. Deliberately not telling people the whole truth, misleading them or just outright lying to them.

It becomes more apparent that it does not matter what the people want. If asked if they want a regional assembly or an English parliament, the English parliament wins hands down. So they aren't going to be asked.

[Aggers]

It becomes more apparent that it does not matter what the people want. If asked if they want a regional assembly or an English parliament, the English parliament wins hands down. So they aren't going to be asked.

That statement sums up the situation admirably.

But what the hell can we do about it?

Does anyone know what UKIP's angle is on this subject?

[Aggers]

To answer my own question, this seems to be the policy of UKIP.....

– UKIP will introduce the Citizens’ Initiative to allow the public to initiate national referendums on issues of major public interest.

Sounds good to me.

[Suff]

It is something Cameron campaigned on but did not do in the end. Whether because of the coalition or from resistance in his own party I don't know.

However a UKIP Tory coalition with this in the agenda works for me.

[Workingman]

Suff, it is Cameron and the coalition imposing this on Greater Manchester..... and eventually the rest of England. It is not what they campaign for, it is what they do that counts.

Aggers, I like that UKIP idea - if it comes to pass..... another winner.

[cromwell]

I will vote UKIP at the election.

But Labour, the LibDems and maybe even the Conservatives are in agreement about this; the UK will become regionalised. Scotland is an EU region, as is Wales, as is Northern Ireland. All of which have their own Parliament or Assembly. The English regions, which only came into being after the 1992 Maastricht treaty were also supposed to have their own assemblies by now. But in the 2004 vote the regional assemblies were voted down by the Geordies.

So now, ten years later we are where we began.

The regionalism plan is being pushed again, this time most dishonestly presented as an all-English matter and nothing to do with the EU.

As far as the big parties are concerned, the big decisions have already been taken. There will never be an English parliament. This dishonest farce that somehow Yorkshire is so massively different to Lancashire that we need a whole new level of government to run it will go on. The power of national governments will be reduced to a cypher until the regions can be run from Brussels.

And you be won't told about it, and you certainly won't be allowed a vote on it.

So damn right, I'm voting for UKIP.

[Aggers]

I will vote UKIP at the election.

.

BRAVO.