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Pet Portraits - England is a Nation Too by Isabel Clark - English Artist

My protest page at the fact that England is the only UK Country not allowed national representation in its own parliament.

England and the UK

England Needs a Parliament

250th Anniversary

(25 Jan 1759) Birth of Robert Burns, Scottish poet

25 January 2009

50th Anniversary

25 January 1959 - Death of Mike Hawthorn, British world champion racing driver

1 January 2009

10th Anniversary of the Euro.
(1 Jan 1999) The euro officially was officially adopted by 11 Countries in the European Union as their countries new currency.

60th Anniversary
(1 Jan 1949) The British Nationality Act came into effect. This Act established the status of 'Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies', and granted those citizens the right to enter and live in the United Kingdom.

150th Anniversary  George Cross Medal

Great Britain's highest medal for outstanding gallantry in the face of the enemy

(created by Queen Victoria in 1856)

2006

200th Anniversaries of

6 March 1806 - Birth of the English writer Elizabeth Barrett Browning

20 May 1806 - Birth of British philosopher John Stuart Mill

Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

60th Anniversary V-E Day

21 December 2004

29 May 2004

25 June 2003

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was founded on 1 January 1801 when the Act of Union was signed. The Act was accompanied by the unveiling of the modern Union Flag.  The first sketch for a Union Flag was produced in 1606 by James I, but it was another 200 years before the modern design was completed in time for the Act of Union in 1801.

Until the 19th century, the Union Flag had just been a combination of the red-on-white vertical cross of St George (England's national flag) and the diagonal white-cross-on-blue of St Andrew's (Scotland's National Flag - the Saltire). 

With the Act of Union in 1801, a new design was required, incorporating the thin red-on-white diagonal cross of St Patrick (Ireland's National Flag).  The Welsh Dragon (Wales National Flag) was not incorporated into the new design because, at that time, Wales was considered to be part of England.  Today, since the Independence of Eire, the Union consists of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It is only when the Union flag is flown from the jack mast on British ships that it should be called the Union Jack, however, this is how most people know it today. The flag should also only be flown with the broad white cross band at the top on the mast side.  Flown upside down it is a sign of distress.

I believe the UK can be a force for good and believe the Union can still be of great benefit for all the nations who belong to it.  However, every country in this Union should be treated equally and fairly to prevent bitterness and resentment.

In contrast to the enthusiastic celebrations of the Australians' Centenary on the same day - 1st January, 2001, the British Government did nothing to mark the United Kingdom's Bi-Centenary.  This shows the contempt in which this Government holds, not just England, but the United Kingdom too.  The Government appears to have been hoping the day would slip by without anyone realising.  The antagonism they show against any display of patriotic pride, especially if the patriot is English, is disgraceful.  I also believe there is some political expediency involved, regarding the peace process in Northern Ireland.

The year 2001 also marked the 300th Anniversary of the Act of Settlement, the 465th Anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Wales and the 294th Anniversary of the Act of Union which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

What other Government would have purposely ignored these historical anniversaries? 

Can anybody imagine the French ignoring Bastille Day?

A few years ago the USA celebrated the 200th Anniversary of their Independence from the UK, with much enjoyment, and that is as it should be.  Can anybody imagine the President of the USA trying to ignore the anniversary?

In 2001, the Australians also celebrated the 100th Anniversary of 1st January 1901, when the Australian colonies combined into the single Commonwealth of Australia.  There was no way the Australians were going to ignore their birthday.

"We must be free or die, who
speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake,
the faith and morals hold,
Which Milton held......"

Wordsworth

- Gilbert K. Chesterton -

England's Patron Saint

England's Patron Saint is St George.  St George's day is on 23rd April.  Coincidentally, this is also the date of both the birth and death of William Shakespeare. 

Tales of St. George seem to have been circulating in England since the eighth century.  It is generally accepted that St. George of the dragon fame, actually existed but there are a number of versions of the legend, one claiming that he was born in Cappadocia in the 3rd century and died in Palestine as a martyr.  In that story, Coventry would not have come into existence yet. But, as I am English and St. George is my Patron Saint, I prefer the legend of the English St. George.

St. George, the Patron Saint of England was, according to one legend, born at Caludon Castle in Coventry and also lain to rest there. 'Guy, Earl of Warwick, has also been said to have been one of St. George's three sons. This Coventry St. George died in 303 AD in Palestine.

'If I should die, think only this of me: that there's some corner of a foreign field that is, forever England. There shall be in that rich earth a richer dust concealed; a dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, a body of England's, breathing English air, washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.'   

The Soldier - Rupert Brook

The English Rose

England's National Flower is the Rose. Initially a gold rose became the symbol of England when Henry III married Eleanor of Provence. The golden rose of Provence was adopted by England as its new floral symbol. From this golden rose came the red rose of the House of Lancaster and the white rose of the House of York.

The Three Royal Lions of England

The lion is the oldest device known in heraldry and, as "king of beasts", was adopted by kings of Leon, Norway and Denmark as their emblem. However, the origin of the three royal lions of England still remains a mystery.

In the 11th century, Henry I, known as "The Lion of Justice", may have been the first English king to use a lion. It is not known for sure why or when a second lion suddenly appeared. However, when Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose family emblem was also a lion, he is believed to have added the third lion. When he led his English troops in the Crusades, Richard I, "the Lion-Heart" carried a shield emblazoned with three golden lions on a red background. These are still the royal symbol of England.

England's National Bird

England's National Bird is the Wren - a tiny brown bird and the smallest bird in England.

England - Part of the United Kingdom

England is NOT the United Kingdom.  England is one of the countries in the United Kingdom. England is not Great Britain.  Great Britain is all the countries of the United Kingdom - Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.

Three countries of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, now have their own devolved governments, with National Parliaments or a National Assembly to look after the interests of their own people.

In the British Parliament at Westminster in London, all the countries of the UK send MPs to represent their own constituents from whichever country of the British Isles they have their constituency, English MPs are prohibited from having any say in matters devolved to those three countries' Parliament or National Body. However, MPs from these devolved countries, National Assemblies or Parliaments have duel mandates.  They can, unfairly, vote on purely English affairs and affect what laws are passed in England for the English as well as voting in their own countries Parliament or Assembly. The injustice of this has already been demonstrated in the bills to ban hunting and the ancient rights of citizens of this country to trial by their peers.  It was only through the support of the Scottish MPs at Westminster that these laws were passed for implementation in England only.  There is nothing to stop dual mandate MPs voting for one action in England and another in their own country if it suits their country's interests.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland's MPs can, illogically and unfairly, have their say in matters involving only the English. The English cannot have any matters decided by their OWN people in their OWN national parliament as they are being denied the right to have a Parliament of their own. So, matters concerning only the English can only be debated in the UK Parliament and can be debated and decided by MPs from all the other UK countries, against the wishes of the English MPs.  This is just wrong and if this was happening to any of the other UK countries, there would be outrage in the House of Commons and steps would be taken to remedy the situation. Even if this present House of Commons does not react with outrage, an outrage it most certainly is.  This is not true democracy because the English have nobody to speak just on their behalf, unlike the other countries of the UK.

The United Kingdom Government at Westminster, acting in an undemocratic, discriminatory and unfair way, will not give equal independence to the remaining country of the UK  -  England.

This refusal by Blair's Government to give equal treatment to the English appears mainly to be their fear that, because England is the largest member of the UK,  by giving England her own Parliament,  the break-up of the UK will follow.  However, it is my belief (and the belief of a growing number of people) that if England continues to be unfairly discriminated against in this way it will do more damage to the UK than equality of treatment with the rest of Great Britain would ever do.  That sounds pretty obvious to me. Why should  England be held in an unfair political system, without national representation,  to sustain the impression of a United Kingdom? Such cynical and unjust treatment will never work in the long term and cannot and should not be sustained.

In 2003 John Reid (a Scottish MP with a Scottish constituency), was made the Health Minister for England.  Now, health is a devolved power to the Scottish Parliament so English MPs can have no voice in Scottish health matters.  However, this did not deter Prime Minister Blair from giving Reid authority over health issues in England.  Reid's own constituents in Scotland were not affected by anything he did to the Health Service in England as their own Parliament has jurisdiction over Scottish health matters.  However, as Reid has no English constituency, no English person can throw him out of office. What contempt this shows for the English.

Then there is the fox-hunting bill. This also is a devolved power to Scotland so the English can have no say on this matter in Scotland.  However, because there is no English Parliament and the UK Parliament is full of Scottish MPs, the bill to ban fox hunting was banned in England with the help of Scottish MPs.  It is not the banning I am protesting about here, but the fact that, once again, Scottish MPs have decided something for England where they have no constituents and, therefore, do not have to answer to anybody for their actions.

Until we are granted equality with Scotland with our own parliament, the Scots and also the Welsh should not vote on purely English matters.

JERUSALEM