Give Wales more power says Gordon Brown as he warns Johnson’s ‘muscular’ unionism will lead to breakup
Wales should be given more powers as part of a reformed union, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.
He warned that Boris Johnson’s “muscular” unionism that sought to centralise power at Westminster would lead to the break-up of the UK.
To address such dissatisfaction, Gordon Brown said Boris Johnson must “get on with reforming the United Kingdom” so it appeals to its nations and regions.
“By that I include Wales – which is dissatisfied,” he told ITV. “Also the metro mayors in all the regions. They’re all complaining they don’t have enough power to do the things they want”.
He also pointed to the damage done by the Prime Minister’s comments that devolution are a “disaster”.
“Now that’s completely at odds with the opinions of the vast majority of Scottish people,” he said.
“He thinks he’s attacking the SNP, he’s actually attacking mainstream Scottish public opinion.”
Gordon Brown added that the PM’s job is to try and unite the country – “he cannot be at war with part of it”.
He said that Boris Johnson was setting up a “competition” between Britishness and other national identities.
“Muscular unionism is what it’s called – putting up more flags and badging bridges and roads with an UK flag on them. It won’t work.”
However Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove today rejected the calls for reform, calling it an “abstract debate”.
“I prefer that we concentrate on people’s priorities rather than looking for new areas of abstract debate to enter into,” he said.
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What about England as a whole?
The UK needs to de-centralise and that includes England. Westmister still has this colonial outlook that will not work in 21st century Britain. However, I fear calls for more power to start moving to areas outside London will just fall on deaf ears and the country will eventually split as a consequence, even England. If you think about it, it is the final death froes of the Empire and which country was the first to be conquered?
There are initiatives and even a political party to try and get more power for the North of England, or even independence.
Its going to be an interesting few years
Labour Metro mayors right across the Pennines, quite a power bloc….
The North of England were given a vote on devolution some years ago and comprehensively rejected it. The main instigator behind the anti devolution vote at that time was non other than Dominic Cumminiski . What about a second referendum ??
Er…is this the same Gordon Brown who offered the people of Scotland untold riches if they voted no?
Gordon Brown was the first to insist on government buildings flying the Union Jack in Wales. The net result was that just one appeared……. on Swansea jail.