A NEW REGIONALISM
Sig,—Mr. Dixon Grubb's article in your issue of June 25th was timely, and his restatement of the principles which must underlie any form of good government in a democratic State, was necessary. In Scotland, however, we are faced with a double form of " Regionalism," which complicates the issues. There is the form which coincides exactly with that described by Mr. Dixon Grubb concerning what are generally con- sidered local authority matters ; and no doubt readjustments will be feasible in the interests of economy and efficiency without losing demo- cratic control, although one must observe that the operation of the Local Government Act of 1929 (which grouped many powers under the County Councils) has not been a great success, and further that the legitimate interests of the constituent members of that lively but venerable body the Convention of Royal Burghs, must be given full weight this time. This was not done in 5929.
But beyond that, there is the Regionalism which persists despite all the efforts of bureaucracy and " British" propaganda to submerge it— the natural coming together for practical as well as sentimental reasons on a national or Scottish basis. As regards local government matters Scotland contains many potential "regions " in Mr. Dixon Grubb's sense, and if it is considered proPer.for this kind of regionalism to receive its authority from a democratic machine, what about the other—the larger loyalty? If Mr. Dixon Grubb should refer us to Scottish representation at Westminster (74 in an assembly of 615) I would only comment that this arrangement is regarded with anything from tolerant cynicism to downright indignation, according to one's viewpoint. It is nowhere regarded as an efficient democratic sanction for the acts of government operating in Scotland.
As a civil servant working in one of the many Scottish Government departments that, on account of the above arrangement, in fact control the lives of the Scottish people as though they lived in a Crown Colony,
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