St George's Day Poll

[armb]

An English patron saint:
[ ] Should have been English
[ ] Should have some legendary connection with England
[ ] Should have some historical connection with England
[ ] Should respect years of tradition and ignore a lack of English connection
[ ] Is an obsolete irrelevence
[ ] Has been tarnished by connection with violence and bigotry by flag-waving football fans
[ ] Has been tarnished by connection with violence and bigotry by surcoar-wearing Crusaders
[ ] Would have more symbolic relevence if England had a devolved Parliament/Assembly and formed part of the UK on equal terms with other parts

See also:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/21/st-george-patron-saint
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/paultreadaway?v=wall&story_fbid=120488997963387&ref=mf

Comments

[demoneyes.livejournal.com]

We already have a Parliament with too many MPs - the last thing we need is yet another layer of politicians inventing laws to keep themselves looking busy.

Just stop the non-English MPs voting on any matters which are devolved to their respective assemblies. I don't see why that is somehow so problematical (other than the obvious that it might risk a Government losing its English majority whilst having a British one - but then again, why shouldn't we have a devolved English cabinet to run the English sub-Parliament on devolved matters?)

Meanwhile, given England's similar traditions of assimilating words, composers and inhabitants of other British nations and having people think them "English", I don't see why we shouldn't do it to a Saint too. Very English... :-)

[armb.livejournal.com]

One could hope that the UK Parliament could be smaller/do less if it wasn't doubling as the English one.