There is a fascinating debate on the TheyWorkForYou.com website here.
In it Alistair Darling argues himself into supporting an English Parliament. And here’s my proof:
In a response to Adam Afriyie, Darling says
Our constitutional settlement is currently asymmetrical, but the principle that there should be one class of MP that participates in all proceedings is sound.
Translation: English Votes on English Matters (EVoEM) is wrong but Scottish Devolution has caused an imbalance.
John Thurso asked
Does he further agree that the only logical answer to the West Lothian question is devolution for England, not the parliamentary gerrymandering of the party formerly known as Unionist?
The abridged full response from Darling
I agree with the hon. Gentleman. … The key principle is that we are all elected to the House of Commons in the same way and are all entitled to take part in all the proceedings and Divisions. Once that changes and there are two classes of MPs, there are profound constitutional consequences.
Translation: Devolution for England cannot take the form of EVoEM and devolution for England is the right solution.
What we have here is a Scottish Labour MP, making executive decisions in an area of policy which affects none of his constituents, eloquently making the case why, rightly, British MPs should represent Britain but also saying that this is unfair and that the English should be afforded democratic equality.
Blimey!
March 5th, 2006 at 8:56 am
I thought that in a true Democracy. The one man one vote held fast. With the West Lothian Question just proves me wrong.
One vote over the border and one vote in London. To me that = 2 votes. The people in England need their own parliament. England is the only country in the Western World without a government.
Maybe when the people of Iraq have sorted themselves out they could come and invade England and establish a democacy for us.
March 5th, 2006 at 9:03 am
I thought that in a true democracy the one man one vote held fast but with the West Lothian Question One vote in Edinburgh and one in London = 2 votes. The people of England should have there own parliament. England is the only country in the western world without a government.
Maybe when the good people of Iraq have sorted themselves out, they could come and invade England and establish a democracy here.
March 6th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Quite agree Jim.
www.thecep.org.uk
March 6th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
I think you have misinterpreted what Darling is saying. Although asymmetrical devolution has created two classes of MPs - those that can vote on the health and education systems of their constituents, and those that can’t - they all have equal voting privileges in the House of Commons, and in that respect they are all equal. That is the very principle on which our Parliamentary democracy operates - a principle that will be violated by EVoEM - and it is an objection to that principle by Thurso that Darling is agreeing with.
Darling is arguing to keep the equal voting privileges - equality amongst members - of Westminster MPs but I don’t think that he cares about constitutional equality of the voters that returned those members to the House, the ability of his Party to govern rests upon that very inequality.
Still, it would be worth contacting him to ask for a clarification.
March 6th, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Good idea, I shall!