You may have noticed recently that the campaign for Cornish devolution has been revived by a show of pan-Celtic political unity. In other words a load of Welsh MPs have signed an EDM calling for Cornish 'Freedom'.
Whether or not you are a supporter of Cornish nationalism, it's hard to find fault with the words of one of the signatories to the EDM, Mr Jonathan Edwards MP (Plaid Cymru):
If I was a unionist what I would be putting forward would be a vision of a federal British state, with equal powers for each of the historic nations.
Such a view - albeit to the exclusion of Cornwall - was recently endorsed by David Melding, Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales:
Declaring Britain a federal state is more important than writing a federal constitution. It would not be possible, anyway, to draft a federal constitution now because English political institutions need time to develop. However, whether or not an English parliament is established or merely an English legislative process within Westminster, what is crucial is that English sovereignty be recognised. Hence the political rights of England would gain parity with those of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Like Edwards, Melding is looking to acknowledge national identity and the democratic right of nations to determine their destiny.
Compare and contrast the enlightened approach of Edwards and Melding with this partisan, undemocratic and anti-English bile from Welsh Labour MP Owen Smith. Is he the bastard child of John Prescott by any chance?