See no Evel? Gove plans to allow Welsh MPs to vote on English laws again in bid to save Union
UK Government Minister Michael Gove wants Welsh and Scottish MPs to be able to vote on English laws again as part of a bid to stop the UK from fracturing.
According to the Times newspaper Gove – who despite being a Scot has been described as the unofficial First Minister for England due to his tendency to chair meetings with Wales’ and Scotland’s first ministers – has brought forward proposals to abolish English votes for English laws, or ‘Evel’.
However, not everyone in the UK Government Cabinet is happy, with Therese Coffey and Gavin Williamson worried it could see SNP MPs impose laws on England against their will.
The Times’ Red Box describes the move to abolish the rule introduced after the 2014 Scottish independence referendum as a “major constitutional shake-up he believes will rejuvenate the Union”.
“Gove wrote to cabinet colleagues last week to make the case for repealing the system, which has been suspended for the duration of the pandemic,” the newspaper said.
“Whitehall sources say it is cumbersome and has never swung the result of a vote.”
Michael Gove himself is quoted as saying: “We’ve moved on now, so I think it’s right to review where we are on it … My view is that the more we can make the House of Commons and Westminster institutions work for every part of the UK and every party in the UK, the better.”
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How does banning English MPs from voting on Welsh laws sound?
Great – all part of Home Rule.
Doesn’t that already happen – in the Senedd, for a start?
Translation: “the more we can make the House of Commons and Westminster institutions
work forcontrol every part of the UK and every party in the UK, the better.”The Tory way (also the Starmer way except he daren’t touch Welsh Labour because it’s the only Labour bloc that’s working successfully).
“However, not everyone in the UK Government Cabinet is happy, with Therese Coffey and Gavin Williamson worried it could see SNP MPs impose laws on England against their will.”
😂😂😂 Bit rich of them, scary thing is I didn’t even know Welsh and Scottish MPs couldn’t vote on English law, just strengthens the argument for the break up of the Union – or atleast no more Westminster rule.
Or the fact that Welsh Lords cannot speak on devolved matters!
I always thought it was a bad move to oppose English votes for English laws. If there is a law that only applies to England and as long as it has no affect on Wales or Scotland then it is right that Welsh and Scottish MPs should abstain. Opposing Evel made us look like hypocrites. Now that the Tories are set to abolish it, they would not have a leg to stand on if in the future the UK parliament as a whole were to overrule the wishes of England. But instead they will now be able to use the… Read more »
Agreed. We’d be better off insisting upon WVWL and SVSL.
Exactly. Whether you favour independence, or a more federalised UK, the principle should be that if it only affects one nation, then only that nation’s representatives get to vote on it.
Just going to give Westminster another nationalist movement to contend with
Good!