Tory’s plea to Boris: Lift Commons vote ban on Scottish MPs
BORIS Johnson has been urged by one of his own MPs to end the practice of restricting the voting rights of Scottish politicians in the House of Commons.
Angus MP Kirstene Hair urged the Prime Minister to scrap ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (EVEL), introduced by David Cameron after the 2014 independence referendum.
She called for the reform as part of a range of measures to strengthen the Union.
Miss Hair also said the UK Government should spend more money directly in Scotland – then make clear to the public where the cash has come from.
EVEL means Scottish MPs cannot vote in the Commons on any devolved policy area, such as health and education, which only affects England.
Critics of the policy say it turns the 59 Scottish MPs into second-class politicians and point out that financial decisions in England affect the size of Scotland’s budget.
Mr Cameron announced his plan to force through EVEL on the steps of Downing Street within hours of the No vote in the independence referendum.
The move, introduced at the same time as a mass handover of new powers to Holyrood, was seen as an attempt to stop the spread of English nationalism.
In her direct plea to Mr Johnson, Miss Hair said: ‘There can be no complacency whatsoever. When it comes to the Union, we can, and we must do more.
‘With a new Prime Minister in post, protecting our Union will need much more than warm words. We need to demonstrate to the Scottish people that the Union is a strong family that works for and benefits all.’
She also said legislation should be changed to allow more direct spending in Scotland by the UK Government. This would include the formation of a Shared Prosperity Fund to bankroll projects that at present get funds from Brussels, but will be rebranded to mark the UK Government’s contribution.
Nationalist MSP Tom Arthur said: ‘The completely undemocratic decision to block Scottish MPs from votes which impact on Scotland and our budget was one that the SNP opposed from the beginning.
‘The fact even the Scottish Tories are speaking out shows just how rattled they are.’
A UK Government spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister has committed to making sure England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are able to live up to their full potential.
‘He has already announced £300million of new funding for the Growth Deals, opening up opportunities across the United Kingdom. This will include funding for Falkirk, Argyll and Bute and the Islands.’
‘More than warm words’