The
Leader of the Commons said Ed Miliband was refusing to back a veto for English
MPs over legislation that applies only to their constituents, to keep open the
possibility of a Labour-SNP coalition.
The
Conservatives said they planned to strip Scottish MPs of the power to impose
tax changes, education and health reforms on England, given the Scottish
Parliament will soon have control of all these issues.
The
reform would make it impossible for an incoming Labour government to press
ahead with its plan to raise the top rate of tax to 50p in England, for
example, without winning the support of a majority of English MPs.
Mr
Hague said it was a ‘simple matter of fairness’. But his blueprint prompted a
furious response from Labour and the SNP – as well as some Right-wing Tories
who want to go further and create an effective English Parliament.
Comment:
Why
should Scottish, Northern Irish and
Welsh Members of Parliament have the right to vote on matters such as
Education, Health etc that only effects
English hospitals and schools etc, etc when those matters in Scotland, Northern
Ireland and Wales have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, Northern
Ireland and Welsh Assemblies for the
electorate and the citizens of those parts of the United Kingdom ?. I believe those matters only affecting
England should only be voted on by English MP’s. This is known as the West
Lothian Question.
