Wessex Regionalist Party

The Wessex Regionalist Party is a minor English political party that seeks a degree of legislative and administrative home rule for an area it calls "Wessex", in the south-west of England, though its territorial claims extend to areas never part of any historical entity of that name. It is also known, less formally, as the Wessex Regionalists, the name under which it usually campaigns. The party has contested Wessex-area constituencies in most elections since it was established, but with little success. In the 2005 general election, the party contested one seat, Dorset South, and received 83 votes. It has, however, secured representation at parish council level.

According to its Electoral Commission records, it had income of £100 (including £95 subscriptions), and expenditure of £35.52, for the year 2004, in which it contested no elections. In the year 2005, it had an income of £96, and an expenditure of £25. [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/12802]

History

The party was formed by Viscount Weymouth in 1974 in response to growing demands for home rule in both Scotland and Wales. After a number of years' informal existence, the party organisation was constituted in 1981. The first President (party leader) was Weymouth; subsequent Presidents have included Anthony Mockler, Colin Bex and John Banks. The President is currently James Gunter.

The party's archives for the 1970s and 1980s are deposited at the University of Bristol.

How the party defines Wessex

The party originally used Thomas Hardy's definition of Wessex as consisting of the traditional counties of Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire (which includes the Isle of Wight), Somerset and Wiltshire, but recently accepted a proposal to add Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to this list, bringing their definition into line with that used by the Wessex Constitutional Convention and the Wessex Society, even though those two counties were never part of any historical entity called Wessex.

The party opposed abandoned plans by the British government to give South West England some form of elected assembly along the lines of the London Assembly and continues to oppose current administrative regional boundaries. These place the heart of Wessex, Hampshire, including its traditional capital, Winchester, in the separate South East region, as well as bisect the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They also divide two major transport corridors, the M4 corridor and the South Coast Metropole, which the party argues has adverse economic effects that further regionalisation on the basis of current boundaries would increase.

Goals

The party's over-arching goal is to secure self-government for Wessex within the United Kingdom, on a similar basis to Scotland and Wales. Its 1982 constitutional policy document, "The Statute of Wessex", detailed those powers which the party believed should be devolved to a Wessex parliament or "witan", with between 150 and 230 members. The list, reproduced below, is modelled largely on the powers which were exercised by the devolved administration in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1974. Current policy is that the powers devolved should be "broadly" those of the Scottish Parliament, though the list below remains the only comprehensive statement.

The party has actively participated in the Wessex Constitutional Convention since its establishment. The party's political ambitions are roughly equivalent to those of Mebyon Kernow's proposals for the future of Cornwall.

During the 1990s, the party codified its fundamental aims and principles in the form of a 'Charter', which in its most recent form lists six:

* "Identity" - To promote the cultural and economic identity of Wessex.

* "Democracy" - To bring into existence devolved, direct democracy in order to give the people of Wessex maximum control over their own lives.

* "Quality" - To optimise the quality of life for everyone residing, working in or visiting the region.

* "Environment" - To minimise the adverse impact of human activity on the environment.

* "The World" - To contribute to the creation of a sustainable and equitable global economy in which the health, security and liberty of all is paramount, regardless of race or creed.

* "Enjoyment" - To make the whole process of politics relevant and enjoyable.

Powers which the Wessex Regionalists would devolve to a Wessex Parliament

Legislative and executive powers which would be devolved

1. Local government: designation of boundaries, allocation of functions, financial provisions
2. Health*
3. Housing and environmental services
4. Social welfare
5. Education, culture and sport
6. Roads and road transport*
7. Planning Inspectorate functions
8. Tourism
9. The Fire Service
10. Agriculture, forestry and food*
11. Police*
12. Magistrates and county courts
13. Administrative tribunals*
14. Prisons

:"*"would involve some cooperation with central government and/or other regions

Executive powers which would be devolved while legislative powers remained with central government

15. Trade and industry
16. Rail, air and water transport
17. Employment services, including vocational training
18. Fisheries and exploitation of Continental Shelf
19. Radio and television
20. Civil defence

Legislative and executive powers which would remain with central government

21. Defence, except for civil defence
22. Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
23. Appointment of judges and administration of superior courts of law
24. Citizenship and nationality
25. Posts and telecommunications
26. Currency and banking
27. Weights and measures, Highway Code and other national and international standards
28. Trade Union and company law, regulation of chartered and incorporated bodies
29. Funding of Research Associations
30. Social Security benefits and pensions

UK General Election candidates

Election	Candidate	Constituency	Votes
1974 (Feb)	Alexander Thynn	Westbury	521
1979	Colin Bex	Windsor & Maidenhead	251
	Henrietta Rous	Devon North	50
	Gwendoline Ewen	Dorset West	192
	Michael Mahoney	Winchester	392
	Alexander Thynn	Wells	155
	Anthony Mockler	Devizes	142
	Tom Thatcher	Westbury	1905
1983	Anthony Mockler	Wantage	183
	Colin Bex	Windsor & Maidenhead	68
	Henrietta Rous	Devon West & Torridge	113
	David Fox	Dorset North	294
	Simon Winkworth	Winchester	155
	Adam Stout	Wansdyke	213
	David Robins	Woodspring	177
	Gwendoline Ewen	Devizes	234
	Maya Kemp	Salisbury	182
	John Banks	Westbury	131
1997	Colin Bex	Portsmouth North	72
2001	Colin Bex	Wells	167
	Henrietta Rous	Winchester	66
2005	Colin Bex	Dorset South	83

European Election candidates

Election	Candidate	Constituency	Votes
1979	Alexander Thynn	Wessex	1706
1984	Henrietta Rous	Devon	659
1989	Gwendoline Ewen	Bristol	1017
	Henrietta Rous	Devon	385
	Anthony Mockler	Somerset & Dorset West	930

External links

* [http://www.regionalist.net Wessex Regionalists website]
* [http://wessexregionalists.blogspot.com Wessex Regionalists blog]