I wrote to David Davis before the ballot of MPs using good old fashioned snail mail thinking that may ellicit a response more surely than an e-mail…

I then sent an e-mail to Davis and Cameron (post 1 and post 2) which has been responded to.

Then yesterday I received a reply to my letter with an attached apology for administration error causing the delay. I hope that’s not a portent for Davis’ would-be Tory leadership… I’m also not cynical enough to suggest that my comments about a lack of reply having any bearing on the subsequent prompt reply…

I wrote about an English Parliament and his support of it:

Thank you for your letter and I am sorry for the delay in replying, due to a clerical error.

I am grateful to you for your kind words of support. (Ed - My letter was written before I realised that Cameron should be leader)

This Government’s devolution settlement has created imbalances in the British constitution and understandable grievances among the English people. We now have a curious anomaly where Scottish MPs continue to vote in England on matters which in Scotland are now the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament and on which neither English nor Scottish MPs have a corresponding say. The Prime Minister has used his Scottish MPs to force through unpopular policies on England for which there is no majority among English MPs such as foundation hospitals or university top-up fees and which the Scottish Executive has specifically ruled out in Scotland.

The Conservative Party under Michael Howard has stopped short of proposing an English Parliament and has put forward the proposition that following a resolution of the House of Commons, the Speaker should be able to certify Bills, or parts of Bills, as applying only to England or to England and Wales. In such circumstances, Scottish MPs would not be able to vote on them. By that means you get a quasi-English parliament without the accompanying expense and bureaucracy. As a member of the Shadow Cabinet I believe in collective responsibility and therefore have no difficulty in endorsing the position the Party has taken. As events move forward and the country has to come to terms with the consequences of the Human Rights Act and the devolution settlement on its constitution we shall naturally need to revisit many issues relating to the governance of Britain in the coming years.

This fails to fundamentally understand the need for an English Parliament (previous clarifying post). An English Parliament would provide an English first minister, genuine representation for the people of England and equal powers to the Scottish Parliament.

The Conservative policy on English MPs voting for English-only matters fails to deal with the fact that Scottish MPs cannot vote on Scottish matters; fails to recognise that people vote differently depending on the body they’re voting for and fails to recognise that a different party may win elections in the English Parliament to the elections for the UK parliament thus giving rise to different legislative proposals and emphasis.

I hope you’ll join the Campaign for an English Parliament and support the English in gaining devolution.

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Posted In: Political, England