PM plans English income tax rates

A SYSTEM of ‘English votes for English laws’ allowing England to set its own rate of income tax will be brought forward within 100 days of a Conservative election victory.

David Cameron and William Hague will today pledge that delivering effective ‘home rule’ for England will be one of their party’s top priorities if re-elected. As the Daily Mail revealed yesterday, the Tories are publishing a separate ‘English manifesto’ for the first time, to go alongside their Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish manifestos.

The Prime Minister and Mr Hague, the outgoing leader of the Commons, will say that in the interests of fairness English MPs must be given a veto on legislation that no longer applies in Scotland.

A Conservative government would have the system implemented in time for the first budget of the new parliament in March 016, they will say.

It will mean English, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs being able to set a separate rate of income tax to that in Scotland – where the SNP is expected to hold sway after the election – with MPs north of the border having no say.

If Wales votes in favour of the Welsh Assembly having income tax powers like those being devolved to Holyrood in a proposed referendum, Welsh MPs would also be excluded.

The plan will involve reforning Parliament’s committee stage, where MPs discuss legislation in detail. No Bill or part of a Bill relating only to England would be able to pass to its third reading and become law without being approved in a ‘grand committee’ made up of all English MPs.

The plan is likely to trigger a row with Labour, which opposes the idea of an English veto.