Walker backs English veto on matters only affecting England & celebrates City’s connections with Shakespeare
Worcester’s Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Robin Walker, is today celebrating St.
George’s Day as the English flag flies over Worcester Cathedral. He has reminded people in
Worcester that they need to vote Conservative in order to secure English Votes for English
laws, and that his very last act in Parliament was to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of
local people to support this.
Robin has always backed calls for a national holiday on St. George’s Day and has welcomed
evidence from the tourism industry that a bank holiday at this time of year could help to extend
the tourism season and drive up demand for hotels and domestic travel.
As the polls predict the possibility of the SNP, who lost last year’s independence referendum,
winning more seats in Scotland; he has also heard from many constituents who have concerns
about the potential for them to hold the next Government to ransom. Worcester residents are
worried that a Labour government propped up by the SNP would lose control of the public
finances and would not be able to deliver fair funding for local services such as the NHS and
schools.
Robin has repeatedly urged that to restore balance to the United Kingdom after devolution there
is a need to ensure that when the House of Commons debated matters only affecting England,
or England and Wales, the MPs from England or England and Wales should have the final say.
He points out that matters such as the funding of schools and hospitals are devolved in
Scotland and Northern Ireland and that it should not be the case that Scottish and Northern Irish
MPs could overrule the views of English ones on these matters.
Today is also the birthday of William Shakespeare, the great bard of Avon, who has strong
connections with Worcester. Shakespeare was married in the city and his marriage bond and
certificate are kept in the wonderful archives at the Hive. Robin has celebrated this connection
and, having last year brought Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Culture to the performance
of Shakespeare in the Cathedral, he has recently invited him back to discuss Worcester’s
cultural offering and the plans for a bid for ‘City of Culture’.
Commenting on St George’s day, Robin said
“As well as being proud to be British and very proud of my home County of Worcestershire, I am
proud to be English. I am very happy to celebrate St George’s day and to see England’s flag
flying from churches, cathedrals and in gardens all over the city. I want to see England get a fair
say within our United Kingdom and that means restoring the balance that was broken when
Tony Blair embarked us on the path of devolution. As Sir John Major pointed out the other day,
there were many who at that time warned it would stoke up rather than damp down the fires of
nationalism and they have been proven right. I do not want to see all the hard work that has
gone into winning fairer funding for our schools and investment in our NHS thrown away
because our next government is being held to ransom by the SNP.”
“Hundreds of people in Worcester backed my peitition for English votes for Engish laws and I
am proud that just as I began my term in Parliament by speaking of my deep love of
Worcestershire, I ended it by raising my constituent’s concerns at the highest level on this
matter. I cannot think of a better time than St George’s day to speak up for the right of England
to be heard. I also think that as this day coincides with the birth of one of England’s most
famous sons, renowned around the world, it is a great time to celebrate Worcester’s heritage
and culture. I am ambitious for this city and believe that the Shakespeare connection can form a
powerful part of our bid to be city of culture.”
Notes to editors
For Robin’s presentation of the petition in Parliament see:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-03-24a.1394.2#g1396.4
For Robin Walker’s previous releases on English Votes for English Laws see
http://walker4worcester.com/articles/view_detail.php?id=e3b8f34d022ca45701090fadded8b113
https://www.walker4worcester.com/articles/view_detail.php?id=79ddf258651457f8025d6637f91b
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For the online petition signed by hundreds of people in Worcester see:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/residents-of-worcester-in-favour-of-fair-votes-for/
To register support for English Votes for English Laws visit
https://www.conservatives.com/englishvotes/
For Robin’s St George’s Day press release from 2010 see:
https://www.walker4worcester.com/articles/view_detail.php?id=87247e80f6df012d616c891c476b
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For details of Shakespeare’s Worcester connection see:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/shakespearemarriage.html
http://www.explorethepast.co.uk/2013/11/worcestershire-archives-invites-you-to.html
