England
Labour’s Unavoidable English Question
"Will the Prime Minister provide a commitment today that no part of the great repeal bill will be subject to English votes for English laws?” This seemingly technical query – posed by the SNP’s Kirsty Blackman at PMQs the day after the Prime Minister had outlined the government’s plans for Brexit – will have reminded Theresa May that, amidst the turmoil and drama of the current political moment, a powerful English – as well as Scottish – question is now salient in British politics.
Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny of the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London assess English votes for English laws a year after its introduction.
In the aftermath of Brexit, there has been an upsurge of interest in English nationalism. But what exactly is English nationalism, where does it come from, and what role, if any, did it play in the referendum outcome? In this extended article, Michael Kenny investigates. This article appeared originally in the September 2016 edition of Political Insight.
The notion that English nationalism has played a causal role in the EU referendum debate has widely been both accepted and promoted. Alongside this is a portrait of two Englands; one progressive and cosmopolitan, the other populist and nationalist. Mike Kenny argues that this Manichean dichotomy is too stark and ignores a more complex reality.
If the internet polls are correct, England will vote narrowly to leave the EU but be held in by, principally, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Charlie Jeffery crunches the numbers to assess the territorial implications of the EU referendum vote.
The devolution of power to city regions in England has been more technocratic than democratic say Dr Arianna Giovannini of the University of Sheffield and Dr Andrew Mycock of the University of Huddersfield.
