Why can’t we have the only referendum anyone cares about?

What do elected mayors, the Welsh assembly and the UK voting system have in common? Two things: The people got to have their say via referenda and no-one outside the Westminster bubble gave a gnats arse about the result. But there are a couple of issues which are far more important and which folks do care about but the Westminster bubble crowd will just not let us have our say.

First up is Scotland. Let the welfare-junkies vote on their future – I am all for it. But how about we also allow the English a chance to vote on whether we are happy with the current arrangements whereby we pay the tax and the welfare junkies spend it. Me: I am all for Scottish independence. It would be good for the Scots to have to stand on their own two feet and it would be great for the English not to have to pick up the tab for Scottish self-indulgence and fecklessness. So how about we get a say too?

Okay that is perhaps a pipedream. But there is a more important issue: should the UK stay inside the EU. A lot of folks do care about that. Staying inside the EU lands the UK with a huge bill each year plus a stack of new laws we neither need or want or have any say in.

The last time the UK voted was in 1975. My grandfather (Sir John Winnifrith) was a spokesman for the let’s get out side. The other side said “It is just a common market, nothing more and is good for trade”. That was obviously a great big lie. But sadly the lie prevailed. The Evil Empire is headed on a path to ever greater centralisation of powers and so now is a fair time to reassess where we stand – do we wish to follow that path or shall we opt out?

So a simple question “Do you want the UK to stay in the EU?” Yes or No. People do actually care about this question. And unlike elected mayors etc it matters. So the time has come, let’s have a vote.

Incidentally I saw a letter in The Times last week from some Scot who argued that the main reason England should want Scotland to stay part of the Union was that without our welfare-addicted friends from the North, Britain would become increasingly isolated in the EU, UKIP would become a real force and we might end up leaving the Evil Empire. Quelle Horreur. Time to send off another cheque to the SNP I think.