The British system of government has for many years been one of the most centralised in Europe. Many more matters are decided at the national level than in Germany or Belgium, for example, where an effective level of regional government has been established.
Recent years have seen steps towards regional government, notably in Scotland and Wales but also on a smaller scale in England. But treating regional and national authorities as representatives of Westminster rather than representatives of the people in the areas concerned does not really change very much.
A federal system would be much better.
In England, some form of sub-national authorities (perhaps the existing regions, perhaps something else) would be directly elected and exercise clearly defined powers. Most of these powers would be drawn from those currently exercised by Whitehall. Such a system could bring the citizens closer to the decisions which most affect their lives. The power of distant bureaucrats would be reduced.
The links below lead to more information on the following subjects.
Latest Contributions
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Reform of the House of Lords
The following submission was made to the Lord Chancellor’s Department in response to the government’s White Paper on reform of the House of Lords. 1. Federalism divides political power between […]
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Why Wales needs a Parliament
It is nearly a quarter of a century since I last made a speech in this institution. This University has a fine record in offering educational opportunities to students from […]
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London should run its own transport system
In a democracy, you need a very good reason to deny people something they have voted for. The Labour government has yet to come up with that good reason regarding […]