yeah, it is entirely fair to apply the same model in england as they do in scotland, (a model for local government) and how much autonomy is useful is obviously an open quetion (as is how much sovereignty you want to pool with the EU) - IF devolution is a good thing then it should apply equally to England as it does to Scotland - especially as Octavious just said because you have one culture and language (it may not work in the US the same way because their mechanisms for law making have developed along different lines - i believe that electing the local sheriff is a crazy idea; but that is just from my Irish cultural prespective - which is agian similar enough to the UK)

The fact that it took Scottish nationalism to realise this devolution is kinda crappy - IF devolution is useful then it is not because the Scots are so different from the English it is because decisions which are made locally tend to take in more consideration of local concerns - because local people value things differently - one of the big Irish complaints was the Government in Westminster's reaction to the famine in 1845, the idea of 'home rule' doesn't have to be a seperatist movement.

Still I personally think either arguement (from a nationalist or unionist point of view) is just as pathetic, neither is 'correct' or Right. So divisions of power may be better or worse than other, each will have it's own advantages, but Independance is just a matter of pride/loyalty - to whom do you feel loyalty, what group are you proud of? (saying you are proud to be called English or British or European) it is emotional, and that has it's use only in that we trust the system we are loyal to, the thing we know. (which is of course very important, but the point being if people WANTED to change there is no rational reason for keeping it the same)