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The Provincial Constitution
All proposed provinces to meet these objectives more effectively than do the current regions. ‘The Provincial Constitution’ eludes to apolitical issues [which in their own right merit a case for provinces]. ‘Provincial Senates’ relates to the improved potential for consensus and economic progress that the provincial framework offers. Both to be treated independently as the ideas expressed in the latter should not impact the logic of ‘The Provincial Constitution’.
To reflect natural physical regions
Both the word ‘province’ and ‘region’ allude to a geographically discernible space. The disregard that current regions display to our natural topography compromises their viability
- Essential national geography to define primary divisions[Pennine spine, major peninsulas]
- Topological features such as rivers, hills and estuaries to inform secondary borders
- To reflect natural climatic and geological areas
To follow logical boundaries~
Boundaries must respect the possible, and compromise fairly between existing perceived regions, traditional county loyalties and the present council divisions
- Suggested boundaries follow existing administrative counties
- Interface areas [where there is grounds for inclusion in more than one province] may be designated following a local vote [could be registered at time of council elections].
- Traditional counties respected where possible [unless change is to permit old county cities to achieve new province capital status e.g. Manchester and Sheffield]
To stimulate local integration
A look at the map will hint at one reason for the lack of enthusiasm current regions engender. The shape or outline in many cases is incoherent, being stretched and contorted around other regions, connecting otherwise unrelated places
- Provinces are compact and more rounded in shape. This yields a ‘center of gravity’ which is concurrent with heartland’s
- Distances between furthest points of provinces is reduced facilitating self-integration
- The longest provinces [Rheged and Westcountry] are less elongated than their present regional equivalents [ furthermore both benefit from good intra-provincial moterway links]
To emphasise England’s diversity
The current regional nomenclature concedes little to the remarkable diversity which defines this small country. Provincial delineation however, is concordant with England’s cultural diversity
- Provinces to express local heritage, and embody established common denominators for the counties they represent.
- All provinces to include areas of distinctive regional architecture, and unique areas of natural beauty
To promote provincial interests
In order to market anything, an image is requires. Most English would be confused by what constitutes and differentiates the East Midlands verses the East of England. Tuscany, Normandy, Brittany etc conjure up images of people and place [even for the euro-sceptic English]. How can we expect foreign investors ever to seek such ill-defined regional destinations as we have.
- Provincial names to enhance promotion prospects for provinces by recalling romantic, evocative or popular qualities of provinces.
- Distinctive regional identities encourage effective marketing opportunities
- Provincial capital city’s to be adequately large to center identity and focus promotion through and to it.
- All provinces have an international airport gateway
To reflect heritage
Province names represent the great National historic eras. Compass point naming is discarded as this detracts from local history. The current class of regions has not engendered provincial loyalty or folk identity.
- The dominant early early English kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria to be represented. The Celtic, Norse and Roman eras to be referenced.
- Names not to be unattractive to the ear
To broaden tourist appeal
The image people have of a place is significant in their choice of holiday destination. The current regional tourist agencies must pursue their international campaigns with uninspired regional entities, which compromise the diverse attractions this country has to offer
- Province are constructed with the intention of defining an image and so underlining the assets each has to offer.
- Each province includes a National Park or AONB to promote itself
- Provinces are sized in a manner conducive to instill a perceptible identity
- Provinces all have historic towns to embody character and market the area
To enhance performance in sport
Despite recent successes England has not generally performed as well on the athletics or cricket fields as expected for a wealthy nation of some 50 million against for example Australias 20 million.
- Provinces populations fairly balanced for an equal chance to excite inter-provincial tournaments in athletics, cricket, hurling etc.
- Province names suitable for provincial team use [untrue for current regional names]
- Provincal populations small enough to engender loyalty.
- Each large city represented with its own separate province helps underline urban attachment to hinterland [ e.g. while hosting inter-provincial events]
- Flags to support provincial allegiance
To offer primacy to people
Provinces are essentially about people even though they describe places.
- Particular emphasis is accorded to balancing populations, in conjunction with territorial areas.
- Human psychology to be recognised in the naming and composition of provinces which should ultimately foster local pride and allegiance.
- Provincial flags and anthems to subject to popular vote
- Local loyalties to be respected. Areas which have split loyalties between old and new county designations, [which fall in different provinces] to be decided by local vote
To elevate major cities
Each province would have one capital, with all the largest cities represented as such. Provinces should serve as a local hinterland for the large cities in which most of our people live and identify with. The current regions disingenuously sideline great cities like Sheffield and Liverpool [the latter is world famous for music, sport and recently euro-culture, yet is afforded no recognized status within its own locality. On explaining this lately to a friend in Japan, he was agast.]
- Many of our people reside in the country’s biggest cities. These must not be compromised and all the main cities to be accorded status due as provincial capitals.
- Provincial capitals not to be compromised by local rivalry with another large city within province
To foster local identity
The media is crucial in projecting regional sensibilities. People will identify with their BBC or ITV region, and will often confuse them for their official region which nearly always different
- Regional TV and media could evolve to reflect provincial interests.
The current number of BBC local stations might be reduced from 15 English regional channels to 12, and maybe one preserved for offshore islands [ which might be upgraded to serve and consolidate all overseas UK dependencies] . The current channel distribution lacks parity as the West Midlands or North West receives less local TV representation than the South East www.ukfree.tv/maps.php
- Provincial newspapers and magazines should be feasible within provinces which are smaller [ in area and population], more clearly defined and which are named more persuasively than current regions
To engender allegiance
Flags are an important to attach people with place
- All flags should articulate their provinces location. If a viewer does not know which province the flag represents, he should be able to guess correctly based on the positioning of the St George Cross
- Flags should reference the national flag to underline the reality that they are provinces of a nation and not themselves national banners.
- Flags bearing icons should project them in a manner which does not overburden or confuse the viewer
- Flags should be simple enough to draw in a school classroom
To prevent the ‘break up’ of England
The promoter of these proposals shares this fear, if current regional proposals take root . The single most important consideration guiding these ideas is to seek a framework which allows for greater local democracy which reinforces rather than undermines the notion of the nation.
- ‘Provinces’ suggest the idea of component or parts of a greater entity
- ‘Regions’ reserved for supra provincial use as the word suggests and implies detachment
- ‘Senates’ make a clear distinction between the first degree power [ Westminster], second degree [regional assemblies for the Celtic nations] and tertiary [ Provinces within the English Nation]
- Flags drawn to respect each provinces relation to the wider nation [which is represented in all]
- Province names inspired by their relevance in the synthesis of England
- No tax raising powers in senates
To minimise implementation costs
A proposal for change which show big benefits at little cost, must be attractive.
- Provincial borders follow existing administrative boundaries
- Provincial zoning would merely involve a re-grouping of existing administrative counties
- Framework allows for gradual phasing in of regional organizations into the provincial or new regional tier
To help government agencies
These ideas were influenced by a debate in Westminister in mid October 2005 where Conservatives highlighted the failings of the current regional classification [‘ the Madira question’ ] in response to John Prescots proposals to streamline the fire service into the current regional framework. Government services delivered through the current regional framework may be revised accordingly with clear benefits
- Government will have choice to implement ‘regional’ management agencies for the 12 provinces or 6 regions depending on which best fits
- Parity of provincial size, area and composition will afford greater compatibility for agencies [and no requirement to streamline all into a single tier of 9 divergent regions].`
To increase flexibility
Certain agencies operate within a broad level and may require a 2,3,4 or 6 way division of the country. The 12 provinces may be logically grouped for super-provincial organisations more coherently than the 9 currently defined regions [better numerical divisibility of 12]
- Six new economic’ regions’ [each of two provinces]
- Six new administrative regions [fairly balanced in population]
- Four ‘quarters’
- Three way
- Two way
To cut ambiguity
There is sense in addressing the current duplicity about what is where [ ‘the North’ can mean anything from all England North of Watford, to just Northumbria and Cumbria]
- All provinces, regions etc. at different levels are represented uniquely by name.
- The naming at any one level does not use names which may be confused with those of another. [For example Southanglia references the south only in the context of a three way split]
To facilitate analysis
On occasions commentators wish to describe a region which is appropriate to their context. The provincial model offers flexible regional constructions. For example a meterologist might refer to the westlands, an economist to the North west and an MEP to Northanglia. Each defines the area form different viewpoints and permits clarification in regional breakdown.
To provide parity between provinces
More evenly balanced provinces in terms of size and population.
- The difference in area between Northumbria and the next largest region is much reduced and all new provinces display less deviation in size from each other
- Provides a viable framework for provincial authorities as relative performance is not subject to ‘the economies of scale’ which complicate comparisons between them
To encourage inter-provincial cooperation
Any machine needs cogs which turn together.
- Provinces represent broader ‘regional’ interests in partnership with neighbouring provinces
- Partnerships and exchanges nurtured through parity of provincial status, size and population
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