Fast-tracking EVEL ‘will trigger crisis’

PLANS to fast-track a ban on Scots MPs voting on English laws threatened to trigger a constitutional crisis last night.

David Cameron wants to stop MPs representing Scottish constituencies from having an ‘unfair’ influence on policies that only affect families in England and Wales.

In the Queen’s Speech, the government revealed it would restrict the power of the 59 Scottish MPs through a simple change of internal House of Commons procedures, known as standing orders.

This would bar them from voting on devolved policies such as education, health and welfare when those policies only impact families south of the Border.

However, there are concerns that it will turn Scots MPs into ‘second class’ politicians and put the Union at risk once again.

And Commons Speaker John Bercow yesterday made clear he had concerns over major constitutional changes being rammed through. Standing orders do not allow the same level of scrutiny as Acts of Parliament.

Alex Salmond said it would be a ‘fundamental breach’ of the principle that all MPs were equal in the Commons. He warned that if a constitutional change was enacted through tinkering with internal rules, it would mean that ‘any majority government could change standing orders to restrict the voting rights of any Member’.

Mr Bercow promised to seek ‘appropriate advice’ as Mr Salmond ‘has raised an extremely important point’.

The Speaker will now consult the top law officers in Parliament to see if the government plans to amend standing orders are legitimate. But the row threatens to undermine the Conservatives’ manifesto commitment to curb the powers of Scottish MPs.

The SNP’s shadow leader of the house, Pete Wishart, said the plans were an ‘appalling constitutional outrage’.

He told the Mail: ‘It is totally outrageous that they want to limit the voting rights of Members of Parliament in this way. The whole idea of EVEL is a major constitutional change that deserves proper scrutiny and its own bill.’

Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said: ‘It would be utterly irresponsible for the Prime Minister to continue what he did so shamefully in the general election, which was to set the English against the Scots.’