Ten Little Kingdoms
by Miss J E Clarke of Eynsham
A poem in Judy Magazine for Girls 28 August 1889
Plans for separation grew worse than those before,
Then they asked for two Parliaments,
now 'tis three or four.
Only just imagine if Home Rulers had their way,
And this is something like the tale
the world might hear one day.
One United Kingdom they fancied wouldn't do.
To please some grumbling Irish
they split in two.
Two little kingdoms, but then the Scots, you see,
Claimed their ancient throne and rights,
and then there were three.
Three little Kingdoms, and after that one more,
For Welshmen claimed a Parliament,
and then there were four.
Four little Kingdoms wouldn't do at all!
One of them was far too big;
the others far too small.
All throughout Great Britain ancient hates revived.
Cornwall wants to rule herself,
and then there were five.
Five little Kingdoms, but London in a fix,
Raised the 'Southern English' flag,
and then there were six.
Six little Kingdoms, alas! The 'Home Rule' heaven,
Caused a rising in the West,
and then there were seven.
Seven little Kingdoms; Northmen wouldn't wait,
But started the Northumbrian new state,
and then there were eight.
And the towns that one may visit
by the Eastern Counties line,
Held their own East Anglian Parliament
and then there were nine.
Nine little Kingdoms; the Midlands people then
Called a Parliament themselves,
and then there were ten.
Ten little Kingdoms never could agree
How to work together, and so they went free.
Ten little Kingdoms with constitutions new,
Ten little Kingdoms always in a stew,
Ten little Kingdoms too weak to stand alone,
A foreign nation conquered them,
and now there were none.
The EU Regionalisation Plan
The 'Regional Policy' was designed as a method of breaking up Britain
into 'squabbling' little assembly regions of insufficient stature, to
ensure dependence on the centre (Brussels), each little region being in
conflict and competition with its neighbour, leading to a loss of national
identity and a need for subsidy from the centre.
