Government to investigate ‘West Lothian question’

Commission will look into long-running complaints about rights of MPs from parts of UK with their own parliaments or assemblies to vote on legislation affecting only England Ministers are to confirm that the UK government will set up a commission to investigate the voting rights of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs at Westminster. The commission into the so-called “West Lothian question” will look into long-running complaints about the rights of MPs from parts of the UK with their own parliaments or assemblies to vote on legislation affecting only England. Ministers will announce on Thursday morning that the commission is being formed after a private members’ bill from the Tory backbencher Harriet Baldwin seeking to limit voting rights at Westminster unexpectedly passed a series of hurdles in the Commons. Baldwin’s bill is due to complete its passage of the Commons on Friday, and would then go to the Lords. It would require ministers to state on each bill whether it only affected England, to put non-English MPs under pressure not to vote on it. Ministers hope she will drop the legislation (territorial extent) bill and allow the issue to be studied by the commission instead. The proposal to set up a commission was agreed by the Tories and Liberal Democrats in their coalition agreement more than a year ago, but the announcement is expected to be light on detail about its scope and membership. The “West Lothian question” was posed by Tam Dalyell, the then MP for West Lothian and an opponent of devolution to Scotland and Wales, in 1977 as the then Labour government first tried, but ultimately failed, to set up a Scottish assembly. It is regarded as one of the most serious anomalies of devolution, with control over most major domestic policies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland now solely in the hands of the devolved parliaments and assemblies. He questioned why any MP from Scotland or Wales could have the same right as English MP to vote on legislation which only affects England if MPs for English seats were unable to vote in the Scottish parliament or Welsh assembly. Many English backbenchers across all the major parties have been critical and irritated by the issue. However, ministers also believe that cutting the voting rights of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs could bolster nationalist parties by weakening the influence and status of non-English MPs at Westminster. Scottish politics Scotland Welsh politics Wales House of Commons Severin Carrell guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 8, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.