Rifkind unlocks the key to the West Lothian Question

TORY Scottish grandee Sir Malcolm Rifkind has proposed a “double lock” system which would solve the infamous West Lothian Question over Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs voting on purely English matters.

Giving evidence to the commission on the issue chaired by Sir William MacKay, the former Scottish and foreign secretary said that bills which were either English only or substantially English should have a majority of both UK MPs and English MPs to be passed.

Sir Malcolm said that the Speaker, as the independent authority, should rule on whether a bill was substantially English to prevent the government from “tagging on parts” affecting other parts of the UK to avoid it being English only.

He then said that votes at the second or third reading would need both a UK and English majority.

He also suggested that the committee stage where the details are decided could have the same system.

He described ideas for an English Parliament or preventing Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs voting on English matters as “ludicrous” and a “nationalist solution to a unionist problem”.

He said he now preferred his “double lock system”.