THANK you for publishing my letter re EU regionalisation in the July 4 Okehampton Times.

May I correct an error in the printing. The Campaign for an English Parliament is a non-political organisation and has supporters from all three main political parties. It must be said, however, that none of the three party leaders, all Scots, support an English Parliament.

The object of the Campaign for an English Parliament is to keep the English together by giving them parity with the Scots, Welsh and Irish by having their own parliament so that the Scots etc would no longer be able to dictate policy for England as they do at present, whilst English MPs have no say in their parliaments.

The people of England are denied a fair share of their own resources. We are required to pay more into the pot but receive much less in benefits.

According to the Public Statistical Analyses 2001-2, overall spending per head of population in N Ireland is £5,939, in Scotland £5,271, Wales £5,052 and in England £4,283.

In addition, English taxpayers subsidise the Scottish Parliament by a gift of £9-million per year — they have asked for an extra £1-billion.

The Welsh Assembly is given £5-billion and the Northern Irish Parliament is given a similar sum.

All this creates an inequality which affects you and your family in everyday life.

The Scots and Welsh are able to spend more on the elderly and on schools than in England. For instance, in education, Northern Ireland can spend £935 per person. Scotland £863, Wales £682 and the English only £659. This is all because these other countries have their own parliaments, subsidised by the English taxpayers.

All the Campaign for an English Parliament is asking for is an equality one would expect from a democracy.

What do our MP and other political party candidates have to say on this important matter of equal rights and democracy for the English?

J W Reid

Limehayes Road

Okehampton