The Wessex Regionalist Party is a minor English political party that seeks some degree of legislative and administrative home rule for the area known as Wessex, in the south-west of England. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ...

The party has contested Wessex-area constituencies in most elections since they were established, but with little success. In the 2005 general election, the party contested one seat, Dorset South, and received 83 votes. [1] The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... Dorset South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

According to its Electoral Commission records it is led by John Banks, and had income of £100 (including £95 subscriptions), and expenditure of £35.52, for the year 2004, in which it contested no elections. 2005 income and expenditure would be larger. The Electoral Commission is an independent body with powers in the United Kingdom, which was created by an Act of Parliament, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. ... There have been several people named John Banks. ...

Goals

The party was formed by Alexander Thynn in 1974 in response to growing demands for home rule in both Scotland and Wales. The party argues that if power is devolved in those two parts of the United Kingdom, then the royal government should become a federal system that devolves power to the English regions as well. The Most Honourable Alexander George Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath (born 6 May 1932 in London), styled Viscount Weymouth between 1946 and 1992, is an English politician and author. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... Federalism is the idea of a group or body of members that are bound together (latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ...

The 1982 party manifesto, The Statute of Wessex, details those powers which the party believes should be devolved to a Wessex parliament or "witan". The list is modelled largely on the powers which were exercised by the devolved administration in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1974. Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685...

The party has actively participated in the Wessex Constitutional Convention since its establishment. The party's political ambitions are roughly equivalent to that of Mebyon Kernow's proposals for the future of Cornwall. The Wessex Constitutional Convention is an all party pressure group with the following stated aims: To achieve the broadest consensus on the form of self-government appropriate for Wessex. ... Mebyon Kernow (Cornish for Sons of Cornwall, often abbrieviated MK) is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Motto: Onen hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Non-metropolitan county Region South West England Population - Total (2004 est. ...

The party opposes abandoned plans by the British government to give South West England some form of assembly along the lines of the London Assembly because the proposed Eastern boundary of the region would leave out the heart of Wessex, Hampshire, including its traditional capital, Winchester as well as bisect the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The plans would have also divided two major transport corridors, the M4 corridor and the South Coast Metropole, which the party argues would have adverse economic effects. South West England is one of the regions of England. ... The London Assembly is an elected body that supervises the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. ... Winchester Cathedral as seen from the Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire, with a population of around 35,000. ... The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the heart of England, a hilly area reaching over 300 m or 1000 feet. ... Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a United Kingdom. ... The M4 corridor is the area adjacent to the M4 motorway and is home to a large number of businesses, particularly in Berkshire and the Thames Valley. ... The South Coast Metropole is a loose union of authorities on Englands south coast, designed to promote their common interests. ...

How the party defines Wessex

The party currently uses 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. The party is currently considering a proposal to add Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to this list, which would bring their definition into line with that used by the Wessex Constitutional Convention and the Wessex Society. For other people called Thomas Hardy, see Thomas Hardy (disambiguation) Thomas Hardy, OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was a novelist, short story writer, and poet of the naturalist movement, who delineated characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. ... Berkshire (IPA: or  ; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in England and forms part of the South East England region. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island, south of Southampton off the southern English coast. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in southwest England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in south-east England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... The Wessex Society is a cultural society that aims to promote a regional identity for Wessex. ...

External link

• Wessex Regionalists Website