Blair pressed over Scottish MPs voting on English legislatio

Johnny Hates Jazz · 08-03-2006, 11:45 AM

Blair pressed over Scottish MPs voting on English legislation

GERRI PEEV POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

TONY Blair was ambushed by his senior back-benchers yesterday over his failure to tackle the constitutional anomaly of allowing Scottish MPs to vote on England-only legislation.

As the debate over controversial education reforms and the smoking ban looms, they demanded that he stop Scottish MPs from pushing through laws that only apply south of the Border.

To a resounding chorus of "hear hear" from the chairs of all the Commons committees, who make up the liaison committee, Tony Wright, the Labour chairman of the public administration committee, said his middle England constituents resented Scottish MPs having power over their affairs.

He pointed to the smoking ban as one law which had been decided separately in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. "You can see why the cry is going up from my constituents who say, why can't we have English votes for English laws," he told Mr Blair.

The Prime Minister tried to dismiss the notion of stripping MPs who have devolved parliaments from voting on England-only matters. "If you try to have two classes of MPs, it just doesn't work," he told the committee.

It would be "very hard" to define what constituted devolved and reserved matters. "I doubt if a government is going to introduce this," he said.

However, Alan Williams, the Labour chair of the liaison committee, said the Prime Minister could no longer "fail to address it". The anti-devolution campaigner later said that Labour's mandate would be further eroded in future elections, as it was likely to be returned with a slashed majority.

• Lord Baker, a Tory peer and former home secretary, will try to curb the voting rights of Scottish and Welsh MPs during a debate on his bill on Friday.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...7&id=197552006

Last updated: 08-Feb-06 10:22 GMT

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Comment

I guess the 16+ Million leaflets sent out by the English Democrats and CEP are having an effect on English Labour MP's !
_________________
www.EngDem.org

English Democrats

English First, British Second

John Page · 08-03-2006, 01:40 PM

Too many English Democrat threads

Johnny Hates Jazz · 08-03-2006, 03:27 PM

Sorry John - I'm not writing this stuff, it's just that the Press, and Politicians are actually taking an interest NOW in the English Question - hopefully the 16 million leaflets put out since 2004 by the English Democrats and the CEP are having an effect.

You might want to put your head in the sand and pretend it is not happening, but it is - as England is currently sufferring a great injustice, and English people like to see fair play, especially once they have been made aware of the situation.

Celtic MP's making decision on English Issues - is unfair and has to stop

England subsidising Scotland, Wales and N Ireland - is unfair and has to stop

Closing down Holyrod and the Welsh Assembly is an option, but it ain't going to happpen, unless UKIP get a majority in Westminister in 2009 - is that going to happen ?

Once you accept this then you may be able to look at the matter sensibly, even your own party (UKIP) has recognised there is a problem and tried to adopt a more accommodating policy to address the issue.

ED

John Page · 08-03-2006, 04:24 PM

All I'm saying is, why start yet another new thread.

Independence Now! · 11-03-2006, 06:11 PM

What is all that nonsense about so-called 'English' subsidies to Scotland and Wales? We are still in the United Kingdom as the Scots and Welsh are and don't the Scots and Welsh pay income tax to the UK Treasury? What about Scotland's Oil hasn't that gone to pay for quite a few things in England over the years? I don't think we ought to go down the rather dangerous road of what part of the United Kingdom is contributing the most ect or 'taking money off the English' ect.

I don't think we should let English materialism (I live in England by the way) put at risk the United Kingdom. :evil:

Johnny Hates Jazz · 11-03-2006, 06:14 PM

So you are happy with one third per head greater expenditure in Scotland and Wales then in England.

Surely you can see that this is New Labour bribing the Celts to vote Labour !

Clearly this seperates you as a British Nationalist from me as an English Nationalist.

ED

08-03-2006, 11:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
Johnny Hates Jazz Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,973 Party: English Democrats	Blair pressed over Scottish MPs voting on English legislatio Blair pressed over Scottish MPs voting on English legislation GERRI PEEV POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT TONY Blair was ambushed by his senior back-benchers yesterday over his failure to tackle the constitutional anomaly of allowing Scottish MPs to vote on England-only legislation. As the debate over controversial education reforms and the smoking ban looms, they demanded that he stop Scottish MPs from pushing through laws that only apply south of the Border. To a resounding chorus of "hear hear" from the chairs of all the Commons committees, who make up the liaison committee, Tony Wright, the Labour chairman of the public administration committee, said his middle England constituents resented Scottish MPs having power over their affairs. He pointed to the smoking ban as one law which had been decided separately in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. "You can see why the cry is going up from my constituents who say, why can't we have English votes for English laws," he told Mr Blair. The Prime Minister tried to dismiss the notion of stripping MPs who have devolved parliaments from voting on England-only matters. "If you try to have two classes of MPs, it just doesn't work," he told the committee. It would be "very hard" to define what constituted devolved and reserved matters. "I doubt if a government is going to introduce this," he said. However, Alan Williams, the Labour chair of the liaison committee, said the Prime Minister could no longer "fail to address it". The anti-devolution campaigner later said that Labour's mandate would be further eroded in future elections, as it was likely to be returned with a slashed majority. • Lord Baker, a Tory peer and former home secretary, will try to curb the voting rights of Scottish and Welsh MPs during a debate on his bill on Friday. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...7&id=197552006 Last updated: 08-Feb-06 10:22 GMT ============================================= Comment I guess the 16+ Million leaflets sent out by the English Democrats and CEP are having an effect on English Labour MP's ! _________________ www.EngDem.org English Democrats English First, British Second __________________ *English Democrats SAY NO* To European Union English not British** not European *- It's time to decide at the 2009 European Elections*

08-03-2006, 03:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Johnny Hates Jazz Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,973 Party: English Democrats	Sorry John - I'm not writing this stuff, it's just that the Press, and Politicians are actually taking an interest NOW in the English Question - hopefully the 16 million leaflets put out since 2004 by the English Democrats and the CEP are having an effect. You might want to put your head in the sand and pretend it is not happening, but it is - as England is currently sufferring a great injustice, and English people like to see fair play, especially once they have been made aware of the situation. Celtic MP's making decision on English Issues - is unfair and has to stop England subsidising Scotland, Wales and N Ireland - is unfair and has to stop Closing down Holyrod and the Welsh Assembly is an option, but it ain't going to happpen, unless UKIP get a majority in Westminister in 2009 - is that going to happen ? Once you accept this then you may be able to look at the matter sensibly, even your own party (UKIP) has recognised there is a problem and tried to adopt a more accommodating policy to address the issue. ED __________________ *English Democrats SAY NO* To European Union English not British** not European *- It's time to decide at the 2009 European Elections*

11-03-2006, 06:14 PM	#6 (permalink)
Johnny Hates Jazz Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,973 Party: English Democrats	So you are happy with one third per head greater expenditure in Scotland and Wales then in England. Surely you can see that this is New Labour bribing the Celts to vote Labour ! Clearly this seperates you as a British Nationalist from me as an English Nationalist. ED __________________ *English Democrats SAY NO* To European Union English not British** not European *- It's time to decide at the 2009 European Elections*

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08-03-2006, 01:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	Too many English Democrat threads

08-03-2006, 04:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	All I'm saying is, why start yet another new thread.

11-03-2006, 06:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Independence Now! Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,096	What is all that nonsense about so-called 'English' subsidies to Scotland and Wales? We are still in the United Kingdom as the Scots and Welsh are and don't the Scots and Welsh pay income tax to the UK Treasury? What about Scotland's Oil hasn't that gone to pay for quite a few things in England over the years? I don't think we ought to go down the rather dangerous road of what part of the United Kingdom is contributing the most ect or 'taking money off the English' ect. I don't think we should let English materialism (I live in England by the way) put at risk the United Kingdom. :evil: