by Eliot Wilson on Wed Jun 18, 2003 12:09 pm
Now now, Al, I have been patronised by better men than you. The Scottish Parliament is an abomination, a collection of self-important, third-rate local councillors who are a drain on the public purse. It is, as it was feared that it would be, Strathclyde Council writ horribly large. However, you will notice if you read my post, that I wished Scotland were still ruled by the (Westminster) Parliament.
I am curious as to why the Government does not understand the problems of northern England. Firstly, its members can be advised of them and lobbied by the appropriate local groups. Moreover, it may not have escaped your notice that the Prime Minister sits for Sedgefield, the just-resigned Health Secretary sits for Darlington, the Chief Whip sits for a Durham seat, the Foreign Secretary sits for Blackburn, the Home Secretary sits for a Sheffield constituency... I don't think we can accuse the higher echelons of Government of ignorance of the north of England.
But the fundamental point is this: we live in a Parliamentary democracy. Each area elects its representatives (or rather delegates, in some senses) and Parliament collectively (actually the Queen-in-Parliament, as, Al, you seem keen on precision of terminology) passes legislation for the whole country. God forbid that England begins to be broken up into petty fiefdoms, in the way that the Government has already begun to prise apart the constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister
Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."
Death: "Don't patronise me."