Opinion: Lancashire must wake up and get involved in devo debate

The chief executive of private sector lobby group Downtown in Business has said an English Parliament would be a disaster for Lancashire and the North.

“The ‘solemn vow’ from the three mainstream party political leaders that promised additional powers to the Scottish Parliament on a whole range of issues from welfare to tax will have to be delivered, and this has left Whitehall mandarins and (mostly) Tory MPs banging on about fair votes for the English and an even playing field.

“It is also incredible to me that those politicians that have happily gone through the voting lobbies to bludgeon through austerity budgets that have so clearly hit the north of England harder than the south can be whinging about ‘an even playing field’ now.

“If Scotland is to get Devo Max then we in the North need to demand Devo Met! The city regions of England north of the Watford gap have to be given the same powers, responsibilities and opportunities as our Scottish counterparts.”

“Whilst city regions have been working hard to create partnerships and co-ordination, we in Lancashire are still pre occupied with trying to keep everyone happy and not rock the boat.

“If we are not careful the great county of Lancashire will be left behind, as powers, resources and devolution is carved up by the big cities.”

“Labour is right to object to the Prime Ministers bid to rush through legislation that would create a new constitutional settlement that none of us have discussed, let alone signed up to. Nevertheless, the idea that we need a ‘constitutional convention’ to sort a new governance structure for the UK is highly uninspiring too – and unnecessary.

“As Sir Howard Bernstein said at a Downtown event last week, it is beyond nonsensical that he has to get permission from a pen pusher in London in order to simply close a road!