It's Too Late Lucas

Sad really, the Scandinavianisation of Britain is keeping poor old Brit Nat MP Ian Lucas up at night worrying. He sees his identity slipping away and is feeling down about it. Maybe I should feel sorry for him - I know how he feels - but, no, he's never shown any remorse about the disappearance of Wales or the Welsh language so, let him suffer.

His latest idea (hat tip to Ordovicius) is to decentralise England. So let me get this right, he doesn't want more power to a devolved Wales (which according to recent polls, is supported in various forms by the majority of the Welsh electorate), but wants more power to so-called English regions (which isn't supported by anyone really).

I've got nothing against English regions, in fact if I was an Englishman, I'd probably support them in some form or other, but unlike Lucas, I'm not English, and it's none of my business. The fact is, Lucas, an Englishman who's shown no interest in Welsh culture, is wasting his time (and everyone else's) promoting Britishness/Englishness because he knows that the more power Wales has the stronger Welsh identity will be... and as he hasn't been arsed to show any interest in Welsh identity, then he doesn't want more power for Wales.

But I'll say this. The English won't go for decentralisation (the Balkanisation of England would be the probable New Labour tag for it, or is Balkanisation only applicable for smaller nations?) until they have an English parliament. I'll support Lucas and the Brit Nats if the balkanisation of England includes powers for Cornwall on a par to the other 'English' regions.

Fact is, Lucas and the Brit Nats are too late, the horse has bolted the stable. What kind of powers will these new regional assembly's have - the same as Wales in 1999, or Wales now or Wales after 2011 when we'll have won the next referendum, or the same as Scotland after 2011 when they'll either be independent or have maximum devolution?

The only way I, and any other self-respecting Celtic nationalists, would support this from the sidelines is if Cornwall is recognised as a constituent part and not lumped with Slough or Bristol as this thoughtful posting and map explains.

But then Lucas' support has less to do about devolution, and more to do with his fear of Wales becoming 'too Welsh' for his own liking.