Scots MPs may lose right to vote on English bills

Published on Monday 30 June 2008 22:19

THE Conservatives' long-awaited response to the discrepancy between English and Scottish MPs' voting rights will be laid bare today, when Kenneth Clarke, the former chancellor, launches his Democracy Taskforce report.

Mr Clarke is to propose stripping Scots MPs of the right to vote at the crucial committee stage of bills if the legislation is on devolved matters that only apply to constituents south of the Border.

His proposals in the report, Answering the Question – Devolution, The West Lothian Question and the future of the Union, fall short of the creation of an English grand committee proposed by Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former foreign secretary. Some activists claim Mr Clarke's proposals still give Scottish MPs too much power.

The report is to be launched in London today by Mr Clarke and Nick Herbert, the shadow justice secretary. Tam Dalyell, the former Labour MP who first pointed out the constitutional anomaly, leading it to be called the "West Lothian Question" after his seat at the time, said the detail of the proposals was vital.

"It could be the least-bad option bit in the least-bad patchwork," he said. "But the final problem remains that if you have the spending departments in one part and the Treasury in the other, then you will get difficulties."

One source said it was "broadly an anorak's solution" for people familiar with House of Commons' procedures.

David Mundell, the Tory shadow Scottish secretary, said: "It's about delivering an English solution to an English issue. I think the West Lothian Question is wrongly characterised. It isn't a Scottish issue; it's an English issue.

"This is really about bringing a fairness and equilibrium to the devolution settlement across the UK. It says that matters across England which are devolved to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly should be determined by English MPs without the need to have an English parliament, which I believe there is no demand in England for."

The proposal will mean only MPs for English – or English and Welsh – constituencies are involved at the committee stage of draft legislation passing through parliament.

A source said: "All MPs would have the opportunity to vote at the subsequent stages, but a convention would be established whereby they didn't overturn the committee's decisions.

"What many people don't understand is that the Commons can overturn any Scottish Parliament decision because of the Scotland Act, but it chooses not to."