We [The English Radical Alliance] emphasise the traditions of rebellion and radicalism in English history because we want our people to realise a) what their ancestors have achieved by resisting tyranny and why we should not let this be thrown away, b) that they do not have to accept what is offered them today when it is clearly not in their interests. The English radical tradition established the rights of the freeborn English to have work, bread, and freedom from arbitrary justice. The present Establishment parties have given away those freedoms to the EU and to the USA (witness the Englishman being sent to the USA for trial for something he did in England) and are, through their supposed War on Terror, restricting our rights and imposing themselves on our everyday freedoms of communications.
Capitalism puts profits before people and ensures that people in England have to compete with the wages of Bangladesh and North Korea, and when they can't compete throws people onto the benefits system (which we all pay for) until they need them again. In other words the taxpayers subsidise capitalist's profits. Socialism is merely State-run capitalism and encourages mass bureaucracy and inefficiency. Neither offer ordinary people much say in the running of their businesses and leave them at the mercy of centrally, often foreign, management. Distributism offers the people of England the power and control over their own financial and economic destiny, and by spreading the ethos of self employment and co-operatives we will reduce the power of the multi-nationals to hire and fire at will. We wish to see a more localised business and financial sector with an emphasis on locally-owned businesses, locally-owned shops and locally-owned banks. We would encourage the break-up of the major supermarket chains so that groups of retailers would work within the shell of the 'superstore' - providing the same convenient service but all under local management and control. Such a localised economy would also be more environmentally sustainable.
Why are we different? We see the EDP as a mini-Tory party that wants an English parliament. They have no policies that would answer the current economic problems or offer an alternative to the globalised economic ethos that needs strong, independent nations to disappear in order for it to prosper. The FEP have vague economic policies and even vaguer policies on NATO and other issues of foreign and defence policy, they seem to be just an off-shoot of the EDP. The EFP are a racist organisation with totally unworkable, unreasonable and immoral policies on immigration.
David Owens, ERA Executive Committee
That seems to be the big issue at risk in England. it is fanatics to see a desire for linking to what has been a radical past, one of equity and opposed to tyranny but I can't help feeling that there does not appear to be a 'mainstream' nationalist movement in England with parties on each wing leaving the middle ground to the big boys.
This might be symptomatic of a general leaning towards the ight amongst English voters but I suspect not.
I am an ex labour voter who is now a member of the English Democrats.I don't see them as "mini tories" at all.
If this was a tory government somebody would say we were a mini labour party.
Welcome aboard anyway.
"They have no policies that would answer the current economic problems or offer an alternative to the globalised economic ethos that needs strong, independent nations to disappear in order for it to prosper"
Why on earth would they have? They or you have zero chance of obtaining power.
As I see it the one and only raison d'etre of these small parties is to bring the issue of an English parliament into the political mainstream.
FEP, EDP, ERA, People's front of Judea anyone?
I like the idea of "distributism" and exploring alternatives to the current economic setup - I think that another strand would be worker-owned businesses like the John Lewis Partnership.
However I also have to object to the depiction of the EDP as a "mini-Tory party", I'm now an EDP member and I was a founder member and Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats.
For what it's worth, I see UKIP attracting Conservatives, the EDP attracting euro-sceptic Liberals such as myself and the BNP attracting the Labour working class.
All of which makes the next election far from as cut and dried as everyone seems to expect!
The EDP a mini Tory Party?....
More of a very broad church I would have thought.
I'm a member and was a former Labour supporter for over 30 years before realising what a bunch of despots they are - as are the Tories and Lib Dems... I know many former Labour voters who are EDP members.
And as regard to 'Distributism' - not sure it will work. Sounds a bit too much like tractor stats, 5 year productivity plans and numbing bureacracy at local level to me. The very word 'distributism' seems a bit dodgy - it's the sort of amalgam that Rik out of the Young Ones might have coined - or is it a result of a table full of blue sky thinkers who have consumed a bit too much communal plonk... "I know, what about 'distributism'?"
"Love it - more wine, anyone?"...
And the break up of superstores? I, more than anyone hates the prospect of tesco towns - I live in one for God's sake - our high street looks like an advert for roller shutters. But your solution is unworkable. Local produce is one thing but what happens when the season's produce has gone? Do we do without apples in April? Or does the local co-op try to order some from South Africa? No 'economy of smaller scale' means the price will go through the roof to get them to a little town in northern England... Local organisations run by local movers and shakers will always want to get bigger to increase efficiency, gain leverage and get rich - it's human nature - Dawkin's selfish gene kicking in. Your macro utopia model will not stop those desires of self enrichment. So, in order to get cheaper apples in April, local co-ops will join together so they can order more at once and get a cheaper deal. Those local organisations will streamline to save costs - and get taken over by more efficient and more aggressive outfits..... Before you know where you are, you have a national conglomerate distribution centre holding all the locals to ransom.... "You want apples in April then negotiate yourselves - it'll cost you a fortune"...
What could be proposed is a maximum coverage of supermarket floorspace per thousand people. That way, expansion will be strictly controlled - and supermarket chains will have to work within their given coverages. And if competition isn't great enough then allocate a licence system where a supermarket will be able to operate in a specific territory for say 5 years. If evidence of profiteering or victimisation against local shops is uncovered then their licence is revoked or not renewed - and offered to the competition.
We have to have supermarkets. The people want them. -
They must however be persuaded to live with other local businesses rather than trying to eradicate them.
The EDP has policies for protecting core industries, which no other party has, least of all the Conservatives.
The Tories should be concerned about this undoubted rise in English nationalism as it reflects the betrayal the Tories have shown for their natural constituency, England.
Should they win the next general election, the Tories will be on a very short probation. If they do not resolve the flagrant discrimination against the English in post-devolution Britain they will be hammered at the following general election.