English Votes for English Laws

I believe in Equal Citizenship for the four nations of the UK so far as it can be practically obtained at a reasonable cost.

If it is wrong for English voters to impose their view on Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on any given issue, and that issue has therefore been devolved in those countries, then it is equally wrong for the equivalent decision in England to be imposed by Scottish, or Welsh, or Northern Ireland MPs.

Because the powers of the devolved assemblies are not equal - and I believe we should move as far as practical towards a position where they are - this is also sometimes an issue in Wales and Northern Ireland.

The first step to correcting it is about to be proposed by the Conservatives, and involves an extra legislative stage for England-only legislation which gives MPs elected by English constituencies a veto.

This is not, as one utterly bonkers Labour MP suggested, racist - it is an attempt to put the four home nations on a similar basis.

More detail will be announced very shortly, but you can support the principle at

https://www.conservatives.com/englishlaws

Comments

Jim said…
not interested, the votes should come from the English/Scotish/welsh/Irish people as per Harrogate.

1. Recognition of our sovereignty
The peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland comprise the ultimate authority of their nations and are the source of all political power. That fact shall be recognised by the Crown and the Governments of our nations, and our Parliaments and Assemblies;
2. Real local democracy
The foundation of our democracy shall be the counties (or other local units as may be defined), which shall become constitutional bodies exercising under the control of their peoples all powers of legislation, taxation and administration not specifically granted by the people to the national government;
3. Separation of powers
The executive shall be separated from the legislature. To that effect, prime ministers shall be elected by popular vote; they shall appoint their own ministers, with the approval of parliament, to assist in the exercise of such powers as may be granted to them by the sovereign people of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; no prime ministers or their ministers shall be members of parliament or any legislative assembly;
4. The people’s consent
No law, treaty or government decision shall take effect without the consent of the majority of the people, by positive vote if so demanded, and that none shall continue to have effect when that consent is withdrawn by the majority of the people;
5. No taxation or spending without consent
No tax, charge or levy shall be imposed, nor any public spending authorised, nor any sum borrowed by any national or local government except with the express approval the majority of the people, renewed annually on presentation of a budget which shall first have been approved by their respective legislatures;
6. A constitutional convention
Parliament, once members of the executive are excluded, must host a constitutional convention to draw up a definitive codified constitution for the peoples of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It shall recognise their sovereign status and their inherent, inalienable rights and which shall be subject to their approval.
8:41 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Well, at the moment we have a parliamentary system. While that remains the case - and however interesting the Harrogate agenda, I don't see the parliamentary system being changed any time in the next decade - we need to make it work as well as possible. The EVEL proposal will at least block one of the most egregious problems with the present system.
9:51 pm
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