Monday, May 08, 2006
The Scottish invasion
Taken from the Ian Dale Blog
A good letter in the Telegraph from Ken Baker today...
Sir - The appointment of John Reid, MP for Motherwell North, Lanarkshire, as Home Secretary, and of Douglas Alexander, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire, as Transport Secretary is an affront to all English voters. Mr Reid will be responsible for the English police, prisons and criminal justice system, but as these matters have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, he will have no say on them in his own constituency. He can tell the Lancashire police force what to do, but not his own in Lanarkshire. An injustice of the same kind led to his being relieved of his post as health secretary. Mr Alexander will be responsible for English roads, railways and airports, but will have no say on those in Scotland. So both Mr Reid and Mr Alexander will have to make controversial decisions in a country no part of which they represent. Tony Blair, in his twilight months, has failed to recognise the inevitable consequences of his devolution of powers to Scotland, which he introduced in his bright dawn.
Lord Baker of Dorking, London SW1
Ian goes onto state that John Reid described the Home Office recently as "the one Department which can't have a Scot in charge". Considering Scots account for almost half the cabinet, is it time we give serious attention to the West Lothian Question?
# posted by Rob @ 9:22 pm 
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I'm unsure whether english votes on english laws is enough, and am persuadable by the case of an English Parliament, being a member of a pressure group that seeks this
The logic goes like this:
Wales will eventually get full powers equal to Scotland (and its good that we are backing it in a maybe kinda way)
There is a case for Scotland and Wales on UK wide matters getting more per head of population because of land mass size per person being greater. Whether this can extend to devolved matters I'm unsure.
There are positive steps done in Scotland that we in England can learn from.
They are opening rail lines to airports, we are seeking to have links closed or 'mothballed'
Perscription and elderly care
Top up fees being mitigated or in the case of Scotland, non existant.
Would an English parliament, or just the MPs representing English Constituencies in the Commons have let that happen.
Hence the case is getting stronger by the day and Britain should have a constitutional convention. By all means regionalise the second chamber in terms of PR to get members elected and have first ministers as senators as of right so that they can input in on Uk bills. But for crying out loud these threads need some sort of tying together.
James Ware
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The logic goes like this:
Wales will eventually get full powers equal to Scotland (and its good that we are backing it in a maybe kinda way)
There is a case for Scotland and Wales on UK wide matters getting more per head of population because of land mass size per person being greater. Whether this can extend to devolved matters I'm unsure.
There are positive steps done in Scotland that we in England can learn from.
They are opening rail lines to airports, we are seeking to have links closed or 'mothballed'
Perscription and elderly care
Top up fees being mitigated or in the case of Scotland, non existant.
Would an English parliament, or just the MPs representing English Constituencies in the Commons have let that happen.
Hence the case is getting stronger by the day and Britain should have a constitutional convention. By all means regionalise the second chamber in terms of PR to get members elected and have first ministers as senators as of right so that they can input in on Uk bills. But for crying out loud these threads need some sort of tying together.
James Ware
# posted by 
: 9:22 pm
: 9:22 pm << Home
