English votes for English issues
Prospective Conservative Party leader, David Davis, yet again demonstrates forward-thinking policy initiatives - and the mettle to make commitments on which we Party members can base our voting intentions.
Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs will be barred from voting on English laws if Conservative leadership hopeful David Davis becomes prime minister.
“Only English MPs could vote, let’s say, on English education policies or English health policies,” he said.
The government has been criticised for relying on votes of Scottish MPs to get controversial English laws through.
It almost doesn’t matter whether we think this is a good idea (although I’m pretty warm to excluding from voting people who will not have to live with the consequences of their votes). What’s exciting is that the Conservative Party is finally churning out ideas that we can debate.
Any more of this and there’s a danger that we’ll find ourselves with a proper political party on our hands again.
I have to say that DD’s ideas about English representation fall far short of what is fair. He does not say that the Scots should abandon their parliament and vote at Westminster on Scottish matters with the exclusion of the English MPs. Why not? If he wants to avoid a whole new layer of politicos he is to be applauded, but he should also get rid of the Scottish parliament, Welsh Assembly and 300 MPs and 300 members of the Lords as well as those useless MEPs. There is merit in abolishing the Scottish and Welsh devolutionary mechanism and instead letting the Westminster Scottish MPs sit separately two days a week to govern Scotland on devolved matters, a day for Welsh MPs to run Wales and the rest for the English MPs to run England. It should not be difficult, and much easier with double sized constituencies and a half number of UK MPs, all would be able to sit on Federal government matters such as defence and Foreign affairs. Holidays for all MPs should be reduced to six weeks a year to provide the necessary working time.
Comment by harold — November 11, 2005 @ 5:27 pm
This is a bit of an attempt at “cler blue water” (i.e. Cameron won’t go here). It separates people nationally, which goes down well with the old Tory audience.
“Only English MPs could vote, let’s say, on English education policies or English health policies,”
This is clearly policy on the hoof - he hasn’t actually drawn any lines anywhere. This area is a civil service nightmare - hence it will never actually happen.
I understand the point - focus on the messy bits is not that important. At least its policy. But this is less innovative, more combative.
Comment by DE — November 11, 2005 @ 5:59 pm
I wonder if, once enacted, such an idea would hasten the end of the Union?
Comment by Gary Monro — November 12, 2005 @ 1:44 am
I’d be more concerned about splitting up England. Lots of policies could be said to favour the South East against the North. There is a lot of regionalism in the West too. Oddly, I’m sure I heard Cameron suggest he wanted to abandon regional assemblies.
Lets face it, no one has really thought about the consequances of running this idea up the flagpole.
Comment by DE — November 12, 2005 @ 11:14 am
Anyone advocating regionalism as an answer to the devolution question either simply hasn’t thought the issue through or puposely wants to weaken England’s position within the Union. Regionalism will significantly weaken England’s position against Scotland and Wales - England will be divided up into bite sized chunks each one of which will be less populous than Scotland. These regions will be encouraged to compete against each other thus weakening us even further.
England only votes are a good solution to the West Lothian question - if I wasn’t already firmly in the Davis camp just this one policy proposal (and the hot air spouted by his opponent on this issue) would have me convinced. An English parliament is not the answer - we’ll be fobbed off with some Norman Foster inspired monstrosity in the Midlands somewhere while the reis of power remain in SW1 - and we’ll end up with less power than the Scottish Executive has.
Yes, this probably is a proposal which will hasten the break up of the Union, but that break-up has been inevitable ever since the Devolution Act of 1999.
Comment by David H — November 12, 2005 @ 2:52 pm
When I read this I think “Quebec.” I think I’ll scurry back to the Canadian Blogs.
Comment by The Fog is Clearing — November 13, 2005 @ 6:32 pm
Calling all Conservative Bloggers
The new Spectator blog has a guest posting by Tim Montgomery of Conservative Home. Tim makes an interesting observation on the blogsphere
Trackback by Who do you think you are kidding Mr Prescott? — December 9, 2005 @ 11:43 pm