Since my trip to Scotland, I have been thinking about devolution and the fact that Scotland now has its own parliament. Given how far it is to drive up there, you can see that the distance from London gives a good reason for why they need issues dealt with on a more local level, by people who understand the country. There is no part of Scotland that is less than 265miles as the crow flies from London, not that you get many crows doing the journey. What is interesting is that where we live is actually nearer the Scottish Parliament than it is the British one. What’s more, given that the Welsh have been given their own assembly, which is nearer to London than we are, why can’t we have our own government as well. Now I know I may sound like just another crackpot and maybe I am, but why hasn’t England got an assembly that covers simply the interests of England in the same way that both Wales and Scotland have? Why are we the poor relation? It’s no good telling me that Westminster is representing my issues, but still not recognise that England may have issues that it is inappropriate for Scots and Welsh MPs to vote on. What I would like to propose is a new English assembly to be based in Shrewsbury, which would mean that nowhere in England would be more than 225 miles from the English Parliament. Ok, so it would be near the Welsh border and some parts of Wales would be nearer to the English than the Welsh Parliament and may want to join, but that can’t be helped. It would be much better than it being based in London and might actually mean they had a better understanding of rural issues at the same time.