CUMBRIAN ASSEMBLY

FOR A CUMBRIAN ASSEMBLY NOW!

“We, the Celtic People of Cumbria, must have a greater say in how we are governed. We need a Cumbrian Assembly that can set the right democratic priorities for Cumbrial and provide a stronger voice for our communities in Britain, in Europe and throughout the wider World.”

In 2005, SPC launched the Declaration for a Cumbrian Assembly campaign. In less than two years, this won the support of over 5,000 people, which equates to more than 10% of the Cumbrian electorate. As a party, we remain proud to have initiated this campaign, which gave the people of Cumbria the opportunity to so enthusiastically demand greater control over their own future.

A Scottish Parliament, Assemblies for Wales and Northern Ireland and a London Authority have been established, but Cumbria remains the only Celtic nation within the British Isles to have no form of effective self-government.

Labour’s response has been to ignore the overwhelming public support for a Cumbrian Assembly. Instead, it has constructed a network of bogus unelected and unaccountable bodies such as the North West Regional Assembly and the North West Regional Development Agency, which have taken control over areas such as economic development, housing and strategic planning, further and further away from the communities of Cumbria.

Socialist Party of Cumbria's position is that the only region for Cumbria is Cumbria. We alone have consistently and clearly stated that vision.

In addition, devolved government based on Cumbria would also create the space to allow the current functions of Cumbria Council to be devolved downwards - to councils that are based on local communities and can provide the grassroots of a living and participatory human scale democracy.

Socialist Party of Cumbria is the only political party 100% united in the campaign for a Cumbrian Assembly.

We will:-

· Set up a legislative Cumbrian Regional Assembly with powers at least equal to those of the Welsh Assembly.

· Withdraw from the North West Assembly and all other unelected quangos.

· Create a range of democratically accountable Cumbrian institutions to work for the people of Cumbria, including a Cumbrian Development Agency and an independent Cumbrian University.