David Blunket, the former British Home Secretary, has announced that English people should be proud to be English and should celebrate St George's Day the way the Irish do with St Patrick's Day, the Scots with St Andrew's Day and the Welsh with St David's Day. Great sentiment Mr Blunkett, shame you didn't voice this opinion when you had the chance do something about it.
The Campaign for an English Parliament has been lobbying government for years to get St George's Day made a public holiday and to be celebrated officialy in English towns and cities. As Home Secretary, David Blunkett would have been in the perfect position to champion the cause but instead he waited until he'd resigned from the government to voice his opinions.
Why is this? It's long been known that the current and previous governments have been actively supressed any attempts to enhance the status of English people. Was David Blunkett told not to voice his opinions for fear that more English people might suddenly start asking why they are being treated as second class citizens in their own country or is he just political point-scoring?
The British government has followed a policy of increased devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland while it follows a separate agenda for England which consists of breaking the country up into regions and quietly putting down any attempt to stir up patriotic feeling amongst English people.
England is the only country in Europe that has no parliament of it's own. We have no representation in the national parliament yet a large proportion of our taxes go to subsidising the other three home nations. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MP's can vote on matters affecting only England but MP's from English constituencies are forbidden from voting on issues affecting the other home nations.
I have one thing to say to David Blunkett - put your money where your mouth is. Use your influence to push the campaign for equal rights for English people and stop the official state-sponsored discrimination against the English.
Do yourself a favour and support the Campaign for an English Parliament.