[or should it now be "The English Question"?]
Frank Field MP (chief 10p tax rebel) has urged the Government to address the devolution issue & the fact that e.g. Scottish MPs can vote on matters which affect only England (& sometimes also England_and_Wales, I assume)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...ss&feed=uknews
Quote:
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Originally Posted by The Grauniad
Gordon Brown must press the case for an English parliament or risk Labour's demise as voters defect to the Conservatives or British National party, a former minister warned today.
Frank Field said a devolution settlement, which many English voters believe treats them less fairly than their counterparts in Scotland and Wales had become "one of the festering sores in English politics".
The Birkenhead MP, whose campaign over the abolition of the 10p tax rate led to a government U-turn last month, said that failure to address the issue could "threaten Labour's existence as a major political force".
His comments came as the Conservatives prepare to publish their solution to the "English question". A report from Ken Clarke's democracy taskforce, due out later this month, will set out how Scottish MPs such as Brown would be banned from voting on English laws.
The initiatives from Field and the Tories show a growing Scottish backlash among English MPs. Former Labour ministers Keith Vaz and Stephen Ladyman recently put pressure on Brown to give greater prominence to English voices in the cabinet.
(big snip)
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Some examples:
Health is a devolved matter. As such, the UK Government's legislation in the House of Commons to introduce "Foundation Hospitals" only affected England... yet it was helped through the Commons thanks, in part at least, to loyal Labour MPs in Scotland & Wales... MPs from constituencies which would be unaffected by the Foundation Hospital legislation. [meanwhile, the devolved governments in Wales & Scotland rejected Foundation Hospitals]
Education is a devolved matter. As such, the UK Government's legislation in the House of Commons to introduce "University Top-up Fees" only affected England... yet it was helped through the Commons thanks, in part at least, to loyal Labour MPs in Scotland & Wales... MPs from constituencies which would be unaffected by the Top-up Fee legislation. [meanwhile, the devolved governments in Wales & Scotland rejected Top-up Fees]
Then there are also things such as prescriptions - free in Wales, free in Scotland. But England?...
What should be done?
Should things stay as they are?
Should England have its own Parliament, specifically for English matters?
Should we take Ken Clarke's option, & make it so that only MPs from English constituencies can vote in Westminster on issues which affect only England?
Would England be too big for its own Parliament? Should we have regional devolution within England instead?
And what of Wales? The Assembly does not have as much power as the Scottish Parliament, plus AFAIK there are still some things voted on at Westminster which affect only "
England_and_Wales" & not Scotland.[England's annexing of Wales - rather than political union like with Scotland - means we share a legal system].