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UKIP founder fears plan for devolution in England would ‘create more Drakefords’

01 Jan 2022 2 minute read
Alan Sked. Picture by The Sewell-Hohler Syndicate (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The founder of UKIP has said that any plans to devolve more powers across England would simply create “more Drakefords”.

A white paper by ‘Levelling up’ minister Michael Gove is expected to roll out a plan for a network of devolved governors and mayors across the English regions.

Professor Alan Sked, who founded the UK Independence Party in 1993, said that the “pettiness and stupidity of the devolved governments – and particularly the Welsh one – raises profound anxiety that Michael Gove is about to make this bad situation even worse”.

Referring to Michael Gove’s plans, he said that “rumor has it that he will define ‘levelling up’ with the introduction of a Bill to establish elected mayoralties and ‘governorships’ throughout England. This, I fear, would mean levelling down”.

“The last thing this country needs is more Sturgeons, Drakefords, Burnhams and Khans,” he wrote on the Telegraph’s letters page. “There is no popular pressure for further devolution, and previous polls have mostly rejected the idea. We should be abolishing police and crime commissioners instead.

“I hope the rumour is wrong. Otherwise, God help the Tories.”

Some measure of devolution has already been rolled out for regions in England, including London, Manchester and Liverpool which have their own directly elected mayors. Other regions of England such as Bristol, Tees Valey, West Midlands and Sheffield have also been given some devolved powers.

In November, Michael Gove gave a speech in which he proposed devolving power to a ore local level in England.

“We want local leadership to create real change,” he said. “We will improve living standards especially in places where they are low.

“We will make public services better, particularly in areas where they are less efficient. And we will provide the necessary resources to increase the pride that they have in their home.”


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Andrew Thomas
Andrew Thomas
2 years ago

I hope this happens it will help Wales enormously

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

People in wales should be ashamed of themselves for voting Ukip in wales it’s an English nationalist party stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Cath Hill
Cath Hill
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

These far right clowns really don’t like Wales or the Welsh, I just hope we’ve seen the last of them in the Senedd,

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

or the Irish, Scots, French, Dutch , Swedes………………………..

Mochyn 69
Mochyn 69
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

Or the metropolitan, internationalist, pro-European English, of whom there are many, chwarae teg

Just not enough to defeat these nasty zenophobic little englanders

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

0 seats in last May’s election. F-you bigot.

Michael Rieveley
Michael Rieveley
2 years ago

The progenitor of UKIP cannot be considered a voice of reason in the governance of the UK and it’s constituent parts. The catastrophic destruction of the Country that has been in part caused by the lies and deceit of his creation will forever condemn him as a false prophet that has caused untold damage to the citizens of the UK. It has been the ongoing and continuous centralisation of the power and wealth and the impoverishment of the regions of the UK that has led to the disenchantment with those who govern and administrate with complete disregard for the wellbeing… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Plonker fears “more Drakefords” yet he would probably get into a state of ecstasy if there was a multitude of Farages and Johnsons. Some professor.

Paul
Paul
2 years ago

The instinct of far right authoritarians is to centralise; to remove power from others; to force compliance: and, of course, remove scrutiny and accountability for their own actions. Add ‘english exceptionalism’ to the mix, and it gets seriously toxic.

Ap Kenneth
Ap Kenneth
2 years ago

So this clown was responsible for the eventual UK PM who is also a clown and thinks that clowns are the only people who should run Wales and the rest of the UK. Not much of a philosophy.

Doctor Trousers
Doctor Trousers
2 years ago

I suspect he may be criticising the right thing for entirely the wrong reasons. Tories only want to move centralised control away from Westminster if it’s to sell it off to unelected private interests. This “devolution” plan will likely be an exercise in devolving blame without devolving power or funding where it actually matters. The Westminster establishment and it’s Unionist media lackies already pursue a strategy of attacking Scotland and Wales over issues that we have not been given the power to tackle. See for instance the Dungavel immigration detention centre in Scotland, a facility run by the Home Office,… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Doctor Trousers
Cath Hill
Cath Hill
2 years ago

Yes, that’s what I want! Devolved powers in England will be of immense use and help for Welsh independence. Who would have thought Gove, Gollum’s uncle, would be willing to do such a thing?…oh yeah,n he won’t, its all air and lies as usual, he’s manoeuvring for leadership, the tried and tested and depressingly successful Tory tactic of vague promises and outright fantasy to make him look good and then if he gets what he wants back to the usual route to tyranny. Get lost Gove, pack your bags and get your mates together and go and boil your own… Read more »

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
2 years ago

Why are they even bothering to ask this irrelevant clown anything?

As for his views on devolution, all that tells us is what we already knew – that UKIP is an ant-democratic party. The UK must be the only place in the world where people campaign for less democracy.

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

I’m surprised the the founder of UKIP has the gall to make any kind of public utterence about anything.

Marc
Marc
2 years ago

The right can not stand the fact that the Celtic nations have seen through the vail of unionism and that it is revealed as the colonialism it really is, and to rub salt into their wounds, they know that the devolved nations are making a better job of governing. The rights paranoia, insults, lies and insecurity only adds fuel to the flame of the independence movements, may it continue for they know not what they are doing

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

All this anti devolution recently shows the right is scared their precious Union is falling apart, is coming to an end. And they’d be right, it’s only a matter of time before the British isles is made up of closely cooperating independent countries with England itself devolved too. It’ll finally drag the UK into the 21st century and kick the remnants of Empire into history.

Cofid
Cofid
2 years ago

More Drakefords? What a splendid idea. Then our English neighbours can enjoy a return to a proper socialist Labour party. Bring it on.

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago

Our aim is Independence, not messing about with Feds and Confeds.
Be Nationalist, business friendly, and caring about the people of Cymru.
Yes Cymru!

Last edited 2 years ago by j humphrys
Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

I have a feeling the English won’t let a federal system work in the UK.

Even if a good system of federalism was introduced by a future Liberal democrat or Labour government, it would still put us in danger should England decide that democracy is not their thing and return to old ways.

Independence is the only workable policy for Wales.
Our relationships with Scotland, Ireland and England will then be through our membership of the European Union.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Yes, and the very reason why New Labour in 1997 gave Wales a toothless Assembly and today why the Tories are hostile to further devolution and fear rise of Welsh independence as a threat to their national interests. Remember, Wales holds millions of gallons of English water in their dams which they covert like a little treasure. And already the Conservatives have reneged on their Welsh Devolution respect agenda with their EU power grab and leveling up bill. Back in 2029 with the ConLab coalition ,PM David Cameron & Deputy Nick Clegg uncivil partnership, bless their cotton socks, devolved “shared”… Read more »

Richard
Richard
2 years ago
Reply to  j humphrys

Self determination was always Gwynfor’s aim, carefully argued and a bottom up, community and cooperative focused; based around respect and a peaceful international view …..sounded good to me when I heard him in 1966 and not much really changed to alter that inclusive vision.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

What’s this UKIP clown Alan Sked talking about. Devolution in England would create more Drakeford’s?, lol. 🥴🇬🇧 Looks like this once Brexit cheerleader doesn’t want devolution or independence for England. And it speaks volumes of him as an apathetic English redneck than it does us who are Pro- Devolution or in favour of independence for Wales , Scotland and Irish reunification. Firstly, you cannot compare like for like. The Senedd Cymru is a Welsh Parliament that governs a country not a region , and Mark Drakeford & Nicola Sturgeon are First Ministers not a Mayors, who effectively are Welsh &… Read more »

Jack Bryn
Jack Bryn
2 years ago

The Daily Torygraph strikes again. Bit of a pattern here, methinks.

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Err wasn’t Boris Johnson a devolved mayor?

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

Indeed he was. But let’s wallpaper of the facts like Alan Sked does and emphasise the cracks, or in his case, crackpot.

Ieuan Evans
Ieuan Evans
2 years ago

Lets hope we end up with less AlanSkeds or even Alan Skedmarks!!!!

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