George Foulkes - federalism is sensible, stable and proper

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Gareth Young (Lewes, CEP): Labour’s Scottish Home Ruler, George Foulkes, who in 1981 argued that ‘Thatcher has no mandate in Scotland‘, has apparently come to the same conclusion as the CEP - that Gordon Brown has no mandate in England.

In the Scotsman he calls for an English Parliament and a federation of the four home nations. Controversially he goes against the wisdom of people like Falconer, Hazell and Bognador to argue that England’s size need not be a barrier. He writes,

Federalism in the UK is usually dismissed because England’s size would make it a somewhat asymmetrical federation. However, almost all other successful federations around the world are asymmetrical. Nearly 60% of Australians live in two of the country’s eight states and territories, and in economic terms these two states are even more dominant. In Canada, the prominence of Ontario and Quebec over the other 11 provinces and territories is even more striking. The states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are together responsible for nearly half the GDP of the 26-states-strong Brazilian federation. Even Switzerland, with 26 tiny cantons, has some substantially more powerful than others.

See also: Foulkes urges Britain to become federal nation

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