We can dream. And why
not? A poll last autumn showed that two-thirds of the public – including some Tories – want to see public services taken back into public ownership. One thing that transport and the utilities all have in common is a regional structure, so why not group them under regional assemblies? There has
always been a huge potential synergy between the case for devolution and the
case for renewed public ownership. The
region – and its small nation equivalents – is the appropriate scale at which to
rebuild our damaged democratic society.
What are the options?
Option 1 is a Labour government, scared of the City of London, that ignores
public opinion, takes nothing into public ownership and – if past Labour
governments are anything to go by – only speeds up the re-organisation of public
services into foreign-owned profit centres.
Option 2 is a Labour government that attempts to re-run the
1940s, perhaps as part of a plan to re-invigorate 'the nation' in the aftermath of a 'No' vote in Scotland. Services are re-nationalised but
under monolithic British or Englandandwales corporations run from London. Regional boards or offices, if they exist,
are not really autonomous, their areas don’t match those used by other services
and the folk they serve have no say over them except via Westminster
and Whitehall.
Option 3 is a government, of any description, that devolves
power to Wessex. It’s the scenario described in the opening
lines above.
Options 1 and 2 are real possibilities, 1 far more so than 2. Option 3 is nothing but pure fantasy, if we
expect Labour to deliver it. Like it or
not, the only way it will be delivered is through the Wessex Regionalist Party. That will take time, of course, but no other
way is possible. (Prove us wrong!)
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