In the 1955 general election, the Conservative party not only won a majority of seats in Scotland but also a majority of the votes—the only time that has been achieved by any political party since the war. Today, it is impossible to imagine such an outcome. The Tories are barely represented in Scotland and Wales, and despite sporadic advances in English local elections, are conspicuous by their absence in the great northern cities. This situation is now affecting the party’s psychology. The Conservatives are in danger of becoming a party of narrow English nationalism.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the party’s attitude to devolution and its policy of English votes for English laws. This is the Conservative answer to the so-called “West Lothian question,” named after the constituency represented by Tam Dalyell. He famously asked whether, after devolution, it was justifiable for Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish MPs to vote on all issues before the British parliament, when MPs representing English constituencies would not be able to vote on devolved matters.
“English votes for English laws” is the resurrection of a policy that first surfaced with the Irish home rule proposals of the 19th century. It may sound like a beguilingly simple solution—the premise being that only MPs representing English constituencies should be allowed to vote on specifically English business. But the proposal is unworkable: it would fatally undermine the Westminster parliament and irrevocably fracture the union.
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