An English Parliament could save the Union not destroy it

Just read an article on what is now at last being called "The English Question" by Philip Johnston in today's Telegraph where he tries to get away with dismissing the idea of an English Parliement as leading to the break up of the Union. Here's the comment I left ...

Mr Johnston - you dismiss and English Parliament too quickly, and with unproven points.

Creating an English Parliament would create symmetry. This would also provide a logical limit to the demand for powers from all the assemblies and parliaments. An English parliement would be beholden to a UK parliament in just the same way as say the Scottish is. If it doesn't work then it will fail for Scotland just as surely as for England. Devolution has placed the knife at the heart of the Union, not the English demand for justice.

Let me offer another explanation. The problem is not an English Parliament (and government) demanding more powers, but exercising those powers it would receive if it were similarly constituted to the Scottish settlement.

Most of what now passes for government activity would be carried out by English Executive. ( Education, health, housing, transport etc etc). What the British Political establishment fears (for which read Scots like Rifkind and Brown) is the loss of its right to rule England in a colonial fashion.

An English parliament would save the Union and provide equality of respect between the home nations (we never hear that phrase these days). It would just be very bad for Celtic politicians who wish to play at ruling England.