Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, whose constituency in North Northumberland, neighbours the Scottish border, has given her full support to the introduction of “English votes for English laws” saying that the changes will finally address what has been; “an evidently, unfair situation.”
The government announced the proposals last week which will give English and Welsh MPs a veto over devolved matters which only affect them. Under the plans every MP will continue to have a vote on every Bill but English MPs will now have a veto in Westminster when debating matters that have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh or Northern Ireland Assemblies.
The proposals will also give the decisive say over tax measures to MPs whose constituents are affected by those changes once further planned devolution to Scotland takes place.
Chris Grayling, Leader of the House of Commons, said: “It is really important everyone feels our constitutional arrangements are fair, so this one nation government will end the anomaly that a majority of English MPs can be outvoted on matters which are devolved elsewhere. At a time when we are giving more power to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, it is right the English should have a veto over things that only affect their constituents”.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan said; “this issue, famously, first came to prominence back in 1977 with the ‘West Lothian Question’, and has becoming increasingly pressing as more and more powers have been devolved. I fully support these changes and I am really glad that this evidently unfair situation, where Scottish MPs could vote on purely English matters but not the other way round, has finally been addressed. This veto brings greater balance and fairness to parliament.”