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Is a Federal Union of the Anglo-Celtic Countries Advizable?

Devolution in Britain under Tony Blair saw the creation of regional Assemblies and Parliaments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It gave these countries greater responsibility. This trend toward a form of federalism is continuing under the present Burnham administration.

Federalism has a lot going for it, contrary to the popular misconception that it creates too many politicians. In fact it divvies up and allocates decision-making to the people closest to the areas affected. This is called the Principle of Subsidiarity.

However, England is far more populous and economically significant than Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined. A federal union would have to carefully balance this reality with the political autonomy and rights of all four countries.

Brexit

Brexit extricated Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the EU, for better or worse. Is it time now for all four Anglo-Celtic nations of the British Isles to consider the benefits of forming their own, mini-EU? These nations have good reason to prioritize their own free trade and movement zone before joining other neighbouring economic blocs. They have more in common than not and if their collective resources were prioritized for domestic consumption, they may gain some leverage in dealing with foreign powers, as well as dealing with irregular immigration.

So, how about a Anglo-Celtic Federal Union?

Ireland – A Grand Rapprochement?

Historically, Ireland’s relationship with London has been fraught with difficulty. Consequently, for the past century or so, it has been an independent republic, albeit divided at the north. It was neutral in World War II. In 1977 it joined the EU and subsequently its economy boomed in the 1990s and 2000s, earning it the moniker ‘Celtic Tiger’. This also saw a reversal of the long trend of emigration since the Great Potato Famine that crashed the population from over 8 million to just 4.4 million in 1911. The population now is nearly 5.4 million. Recently, the Irish have shared in the experience of unwanted mass immigration of incompatible foreigners, many of them by irregular entry through the porous border with Northern Ireland.

In a federal union of Anglo-Celtic nations, Ireland is united.

Can a Union of Constitutional Monarchies Work?

To strike a fair distribution of representation, each country would maintain their Parliaments and Assemblies and a downsized Commons in Westminster would have representatives from England alone. These bodies would be responsible for domestic departments such as police, schools and hospitals, as in the States of Australia and the U.S.A.. The National Parliament would consist of an Senate in which each country has equal representation, like the Australian Senate. The national Federal or Commonwealth government would decide on matters such as defence, foreign policy, trade and immigration.

The make up of the Federal Executive branch of government is a bit tricky. Because of the disproportionate populations of the four countries, an agreeable method of representation needs to be worked out. The Westminster system of responsible government should be retained in any scenario because it has proven effective in ensuring the passage of Supply Bills.

It could be formed from and be responsible to the Senate in a unicameral system. A cabinet of heads of government and ministers would come from the four countries – 6 from the three smaller countries and 5 from England; an 11 person cabinet. A short circuit mechanizm such as citizen-initiated binding plebiscites on single issues would give England a method for intermittent intervention. These plebiscites would be a simple, union-wide poll.

A bicameral system would be more complicated. With 56.5 million people in England and only 16 million in the other 3 countries, some means of ensuring regular representation of all four countries in the national government would need to be devized. The government could be formed from a National House of Representatives elected on a one-vote, one-value basis. Again, to ensure representation of all four countries in cabinet, the 6/5 proportion, 11 person team would guarantee that only laws that the smaller countries have had adequate representation on would be presented to an overwhelmingly English House to vote on. Experience in Australia has shown that bicameral systems are more accountable. Therefore, each country would do well to have a small upper house of review, elected on a proportional representative basis.

A new location for the federal seat of government could be negotiated.

Heads Of State

Constitutional monarchy made the United Kingdom great. Continuing with its benefits within a federal system could involve four monarchies that rotate. When a monarch dies or abdicates, the crown passes to the heir of the next country. No country would take precedence over the other.

The monarchs retain Reserve Powers to prorogue parliament, etc. and resolve constitutional crises in order to ensure the continuance of democratic government.

The English throne has a clear line of succession.

Scotland’s monarch could be the Jacobite claimant to the English throne.

Ireland and Wales do not have obvious descendants, however, the YouTube Channel ‘Useful Charts’ suggests they could be identified. The Welsh line appears to flow into the Tudor line.

The Irish line might be a Fitzgerald!

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