PM to unveil the first manifesto just for England
THE Tories will tomorrow inflame the row over a potential LabourSNP power- sharing deal by unveiling the party’s first ‘manifesto for England’.
The Prime Minister and the outgoing Leader of the Commons William Hague will launch the English document, which follows traditional Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish manifestos.
Its centrepiece will be a pledge to introduce a system of ‘English votes for English laws’ – giving English MPs an effective veto over legislation applying only to their constituents.
Mr Hague is expected to warn that England risks being ‘held to ransom’ by Scottish Nationalists unless Labour agrees to implement such a reform. The manifesto is also expected to commit the Tories to dozens of new road schemes in England and an extension of the Cancer Drugs Fund, which pays for expensive cancer treatments on the English NHS.
The document will be seen as an attempt by the Tories to tap into growing English nationalism. Opponents are likely to criticise it as risking fostering division between the UK’s four nations. But a Tory strategist said: ‘We have separate Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish manifestos. Why shouldn’t there be one for England?’
The ‘English votes’ plan would seek to resolve a longstanding constitutional question which will become more urgent than ever once the Scottish Parliament is handed yet more powers.
Mr Hague wants to strip Scottish MPs of the power to impose tax changes, education and health reforms on England, given Holyrood will soon control all these issues in Scotland. The reform would make it impossible for any future Labour govern- ment to press ahead with its plans to raise the top rate of tax to 50p in England without winning the support of a majority of English MPs.
It could also make it difficult for a Scottish MP to again hold the office of Chancellor or Prime Minister, given they would be unable to vote on some of their own Government’s legislation.
For decades, Labour has relied on the votes of its power base of Scottish MPs to rule Westminster. But since the creation of the Scottish Parliament, critics have questioned how it can be right for Scots MPs to have the crucial say on issues such as tuition fees and foundation hospitals which no longer affect their constituents.
Both reforms passed under Tony Blair’s government thanks to the votes of Labour’s tartan army of MPs. Mr Hague is expected to say that the scale of devolution now to be given to Scotland means the question of the status of Scottish MPs at Westminster is unavoidable.