Labour MPs: It’s not racist to give English their voice

BIRMINGHAM Labour MPs have launched a campaign to give England a voice like the Scots and the Welsh.

Liam Byrne (Lab, Hodge Hill) and Shabana Mahmood (Lab, Ladywood) are founder members of a new campaign to encourage the Labour Party to embrace English identity.

Also involved are London Labour MP Jon Cruddas and Southampton Labour MP John Denham.

It follows warnings that Labour increased its vote in the last election by appealing to students and middle class voters, but needs to convince more working class English voters to back it.

The MPs claim English voters are fed up with hearing that people in Scotland are enjoying better or cheaper public services.

Student tuition fees are much cheap- er in Scotland, and free dents.

But while politicians are happy to talk about Scotland or Wales, they use words like “British” when they discuss issues that affect England, the MPs say.

Mr Denham, a former police minister, said: “Millions of voters, not just those who feel strongly English, think that England has special interests that can’t simply be swept under the carpet of the United Kingdom.

“We know, for example, that some Labour activists worry that engaging with Englishness means making concessions to racism and xenophobia. It doesn’t, and we’ll help show how.”

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have their own parliaments or assemblies, but there is no English parliament. for some stu-