Far better to have a two-tier United Kingdom that includes a second class country than a two-tier Parliamentary chamber that includes second class MPs.
That’s Labour’s thrust in its opposition to the notion of MPs from English constituencies possibly being able to block legislation that only affects England, which would have been progressed through the Commons because of the party whipped votes of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs. The Independent has gratefully palmed the proffered crumbs from the establishment table and is running with the story.
Labour says the coalition idea that only English MPs could have the final say in approving or rejecting legislation on matters that only affect England, is ‘hare-brained’. They are right, but for the wrong reason.
It isn’t hare-brained because it marginalises and creates a lower tier of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs, who would not be able to impose laws on England that won’t apply in their own countries. Boo hoo. It is hare-brained because it continues to deny the English people – uniquely among western ‘democratic’ countries – their own national Parliament and the same level of self determination as that enjoyed by the other UK countries.
This Tory-Limp Dum plan tells the English they must remain second class citizens within the United Kingdom. It says the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish people will continue to have more control over affairs in their countries – in competences such as education, the NHS, transport or environment – than the English have in England. It says the other parts of the Union can have power that is denied to the English.
These are not the reasons Labour are opposed to the ‘hare-brained’ idea, their only concern is that their party whips would lose a substantial number of votes in the lobby on English only matters, because 67 of their MPs are from north of the border or west of Offa’s Dyke. It is self serving party maintenance of the worst order.
Why anyone in England would vote for such a rancid collection of bile-infused troughers remains a mystery. Hopefully this will help some of those voters see Labour for the mendacious and bitter collective of grubbing entitlement that it is.
England must have its own Parliament. That is the only acceptable solution to the West Lothian Question.
In a democracy decision making power should be delegated to the lowest possible level, as close to the people as can be achieved. An English Parliament has a place in such a structure. We just need real democracy in this country in which such a Parliament could function according to the will of the people…
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