Liberal Democrat position on devolution in England

In the wake of the Scottish Referendum result and the Smith Commission process it is right that Government and all political parties should consider the implications for England, and indeed the rest of the United Kingdom.

The Liberal Democrats believe it is now time to set out a reform programme to devolve more powers within England and to address the so called “West Lothian Question.”

Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats congratulate the parties in Wales in agreeing on a way forward for devolution in Wales and deprecate the position of the Labour Party in Westminster in not contributing to the Command Paper launched in the Commons today.

The Liberal Democrat party has from its inception been a federal organisation and thus has long experience in its own deliberations in discriminating between regional, national and state interests. The party's contribution to the government's Command Paper may be read at https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/libdems/pages/7092/attachments/original/1418725024/LD_England_Command_Paper.pdf.