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English nationalism is the name given to a nationalist political movement in England that demands self-government for England, via a devolved English Parliament. Some English nationalists go further, and seek the re-establishment of an independent sovereign state of England, via the dissolution of the United Kingdom. England is the only constituent country or Home Nation of the United Kingdom currently lacking a devolved administrative government or assembly, although the Greater London region has similar powers. There was a vote to grant such a status to North East England, as the first of a plan to implement similar regional assemblies across the country; after the vote was defeated, similar plans in other regions were cancelled.

History

The English nationalist movement has its roots in a perception amongst many people in England that they are English, rather than British. Furthermore, it can be seen as a reaction to the establishment of devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and in other historic European nations, such as Catalonia and Flanders, which is compared to the regionalisation of England since 1994, under both John Major and Tony Blair. Particularly of importance to the debate on recent devolution elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the West Lothian question, that is, the situation in which Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs would be able to vote on English laws without those laws having an impact upon their own constituencies. Although it has lacked a parliament or government of its own since the Act of Union 1707, many English people still regard their nation to be a country in its own right and not merely a constituent part of the United Kingdom. It is interesting to note that most English nationalist groups and parties are on the right of the political spectrum often being "euro-sceptic" at the same time. This contrasts with the "Celtic" nationalist movements in the UK which tend towards a centre-left, pro-European stance. The apparent aversion to the European Union by English nationalist groups stems from their belief that England is being subdivided into regions at the behest of the European Union.

Opinion Polls

A MORI opinion poll commissioned jointly by the English Democrats and the Campaign for an English Parliament under the English Constitutional Convention Banner indicated that support for the creation of an English Parliament with the same powers as the existing Scottish Parliament had risen, with 41% of those questioned favouring such a move.

In the same month an ICM Omnibus poll commissioned by the Progressive Partnership (a Scottish research organisation) showed that support for full English Independence had reached 31% of those questioned.

In November 2006, another ICM poll commissioned by the Sunday Telegraph, showed that support for an English Parliament had reached 68% and support for full English Independence had reached 48% of those questioned.

The Cornish Question

In Cornwall there is a political movement that demands more self-government for the Cornish people, at least in the form of a Cornish Assembly similar to that of Wales. The Constitutional status of Cornwall is the subject of ongoing debate and some Cornish people and Cornish nationalists maintain that Cornwall is legally entitled to greater autonomy or self-government. They note that the United Kingdom is not a homogeneous nation-state, and there is growing recognition in the United Kingdom of the Celtic Nations. Cornish nationalists who assert that Cornwall is, or ought to be, separate from England, do not necessarily mean to advocate separation from the United Kingdom, but merely Cornwall's recognition as a fifth 'home nation'. They also cite laws and constitutional peculiarities related to the Duchy of Cornwall that seem to indicate that the territory of Cornwall is not simply an English county.

In contrast to the arguments that Cornwall is already de jure autonomous, thanks to the Duchy and Stannary parliament, various ongoing political movements are seeking to change Cornwall's constitutional status. Mebyon Kernow, for example, has for many years sought for Cornwall the position of a first-order (NUTS 1) EU region, which would put Cornwall on the same statistical level as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Regions of England.

In the same vein, the Cornish Constitutional Convention, composed of many political groups in Cornwall (including Mebyon Kernow) gathered about 50,000 signatures in 2000 on a petition to create a Cornish Assembly resembling the National Assembly for Wales. The petition was undertaken in the context of an ongoing debate on whether to devolve power to the English regions, of which Cornwall is currently part of the South West. Cornwall Council's 2003 MORI poll showed 55% in favour of an elected, fully-devolved regional assembly for Cornwall and 13% against. (Previous result :46% in favour in 2002). The campaign has the support of all five Cornish Lib Dem MPs, Mebyon Kernow, and Cornwall Council. Lord Whitty, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, in the House of Lords, recognised that Cornwall has a "special case" for devolution. and on a visit to Cornwall deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said "Cornwall has the strongest regional identity in the UK."

See also

• Barnett Formula
• English Democrats
• Kingdom of England
• Parliament of England
• West Lothian question

References

1. Give Cornwall what it wants.
2. House of Lords debates, Wednesday, 21 March 2001, "Devolution: England" transcript of speech

• "Britain wants UK break up, poll shows (68% in favour of English Parliament, 48% support a complete independence of England from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)" (HTML). Daily Telegraph. 2006. Retrieved 27 November. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "41% in favour of English Parliament" (HTML). Mori. 2006. Retrieved 9 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "31% Support English Independence" (HTML). Scottish National Party. 2006. Retrieved 15 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• "English nationalism 'threat to UK'" (HTML). BBC. 2000. Retrieved 9 January. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

External links

• Campaign for an English Parliament
• England Devolve
• England First Party
• English Democrats
• English Independence Movement
• English Independence Party
• English Tribe
• Justice for England Campaign (J4E)
• Witanagemot Club

• Articles lacking sources from June 2006
• Sovereignty movements
• Home Rule in the United Kingdom
• Politics of England
• Nationalism
• United Kingdom constitution