Nicola Sturgeon says the SNP will vote on English laws

'Financial Times'

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has said Scottish National party members of the UK parliament are ready to vote on legislation that does not directly affect Scotland, a stance that will strengthen calls for English-only voting at Westminster.

Ms Sturgeon told the BBC it would be in Scotland’s “enlightened self-interest” to oppose laws that would privatise parts of the English National Health Service, for example, saying privatisation would have a knock-on impact in Scotland.

“If SNP MPs can be in a position of holding the balance of power at Westminster, we can help to further progressive politics across the UK, as well as in Scotland,” she said.
The SNP has a longstanding policy of only voting on legislation covering Scotland, although it has at times put this aside to vote on issues such as university tuition fees where there would be an indirect impact north of the border.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ccb187e-a1a1-11e4-b176-00144feab7de.html#axzz3PrEY3IMh

I'm not impressed, to say the least. This woman doesn't care about the UK, she cares about Scotland and only Scotland. The SNP and other nationalist parties like Plaid Cymru should have no right to vote in issues that only affect the English.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by Reluire

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ccb187e-a1a1-11e4-b176-00144feab7de.html#axzz3PrEY3IMh

I'm not impressed, to say the least. This woman doesn't care about the UK, she cares about Scotland and only Scotland. The SNP and other nationals it parties like Plaid Cymru should have no right to vote in issues that only affect the English.

Have you ever heard of wedge politics?

Reply 2

Rakas21

21

Original post by Reluire

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ccb187e-a1a1-11e4-b176-00144feab7de.html#axzz3PrEY3IMh

I'm not impressed, to say the least. This woman doesn't care about the UK, she cares about Scotland and only Scotland. The SNP and other nationals it parties like Plaid Cymru should have no right to vote in issues that only affect the English.

We are one United Kingdom so i don't have a problem with this... provided English MP's can also vote on Scottish business in Westminster.

"Do unto others as you would do unto yourself".

Reply 3

anarchism101

17

Until England has some form of symmetric devolution, I don't object.

Reply 4

Zander01

3

Original post by Rakas21

We are one United Kingdom so i don't have a problem with this... provided English MP's can also vote on Scottish business in Westminster.

"Do unto others as you would do unto yourself".

Except England's business impacts scotland indirectly to a far greater extent than Scotland's on England.

Use some common sense

Reply 5

Rakas21

21

Original post by Zander01

Except England's business impacts scotland indirectly to a far greater extent than Scotland's on England.

Use some common sense

I don't care. We are one United Kingdom, stuff like EVEL only encourages legal division.

Reply 6

DaveSmith99

14

Original post by DaveSmith99

Why have you added the word continue to the title? It doesn't appear in the title of the article you have linked and SNP policy at present is to abstain on English laws. She also said the SNP will vote on laws that indirectly impact Scotland.

Original post by Reluire

That wasn't a rhetorical question by the way. I would genuinely like to know why we have moderators editorialising the titles of news articles.

Reply 7

Everglow

OP

19

Original post by Rakas21

We are one United Kingdom so i don't have a problem with this... provided English MP's can also vote on Scottish business in Westminster.

"Do unto others as you would do unto yourself".

But English MPs can't vote on devolved Scottish matters. I'm not really sure the relevance of the biblical quote, but hey.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 8

Ace123

2

SNP are hypocrites they have full control over Scottish NHS/education etc so why vote on English laws, a lame attempt to prop up the Labour party who won't get a majority. If she wants to vote on English laws abolish the Scottish Parliament and have 1 UK Parliament

Reply 9

Arran82

4

Disgrace that they will vote on laws in a country which they dont even exist it.

Reply 10

L i b

19

Original post by Reluire

I'm not impressed, to say the least. This woman doesn't care about the UK, she cares about Scotland and only Scotland. The SNP and other nationalist parties like Plaid Cymru should have no right to vote in issues that only affect the English.

Fine, vote Tory and get some degree of devolution for England. You can't complain about one party's MPs voting on English issues - the other parties' politicians have been doing it since 1707.

Be aware however that you are playing into the hands of the divisive scumbags: you're responding in exactly the way they want, by pulling apart the UK. I'm not saying England shouldn't have devolution - given that it's happened in the rest of the UK it's certainly an anomaly that it does - but don't vote on the basis of what these hooligans are trying to push you into.

Reply 11

L i b

19

Original post by Reluire

But English MPs can't vote on devolved Scottish matters.

Yes they can. They choose not to.

Reply 12

anarchism101

17

Original post by Rakas21

We are one United Kingdom so i don't have a problem with this... provided English MP's can also vote on Scottish business in Westminster.

"Do unto others as you would do unto yourself".

Scotland's autonomous powers have been specifically outlined through codified acts and agreements. There is no equivalent for England.

Reply 13

Everglow

OP

19

Original post by L i b

Fine, vote Tory and get some degree of devolution for England. You can't complain about one party's MPs voting on English issues - the other parties' politicians have been doing it since 1707.

Be aware however that you are playing into the hands of the divisive scumbags: you're responding in exactly the way they want, by pulling apart the UK. I'm not saying England shouldn't have devolution - given that it's happened in the rest of the UK it's certainly an anomaly that it does - but don't vote on the basis of what these hooligans are trying to push you into.

I didn't complain about just one party. Yes I focused on the SNP, but I also mentioned Plaid Cymru.

I think the policy has to be the same across the board for a small union like the UK. Either all countries have devolution or none because otherwise we run into these kind of controversies where English folk feel short changed. And rightfully so, if you ask me.

Original post by L i b

Yes they can. They choose not to.

Where have you gotten that idea from? As far as I am aware, MPs from England have no right to vote in the Welsh or Scottish parliaments.

Reply 14

Rakas21

21

Original post by anarchism101

Scotland's autonomous powers have been specifically outlined through codified acts and agreements. There is no equivalent for England.

Matters devolved to the Scottish Assembly have. There are still things in Westminster on which only the Scots vote despite no legal barrier for somebody like myself doing so were i in parliament.

Reply 15

L i b

19

Original post by Reluire

I didn't complain about just one party. Yes I focused on the SNP, but I also mentioned Plaid Cymru.

I think the policy has to be the same across the board for a small union like the UK. Either all countries have devolution or none because otherwise we run into these kind of controversies where English folk feel short changed. And rightfully so, if you ask me.

The problem is that people can't seem to frame the question. "Scottish MPs shouldn't vote on English things" is a pretty daft point to make. MPs vote on things that don't directly apply to their constituency all the times: from London crossrail to a private bill for the changed use of some former MOD land in Gloucestershire.

The only really legitimate complaint is an inequality of devolution. In which case, I think English people really have to consider firstly whether devolution is desirable - I've not seen any great objective advantages for Scotland in it - and, above all, what model of devolution they really want. Until they put some serious thought into these questions, I fear we'll be making constitutional changes for all the wrong reasons.

At the moment, you've got William Hague with a subcommittee of the privy council considering how devolution for England will be designed, over a short period of time. In Scotland, the Scottish Parliament we see today was largely designed by a - albeit hugely flawed - constitutional convention, in the open, after about 50 years of serious debate and discussion on the issue. I do question whether any of this is really being thought through.

Where have you gotten that idea from? As far as I am aware, MPs from England have no right to vote in the Welsh or Scottish parliaments.

The sovereignty of parliament is fundamental to UK constitutional law. As Rakas has pointed out, the suggestion any MP is in any way barred from legislating on any issue in the UK is simply not true and never has been.

Reply 16

zippity.doodah

3

let's have federalism
"what? did he really just say that?"

Reply 17

1tartanarmy

10

Original post by Ace123

SNP are hypocrites they have full control over Scottish NHS/education etc so why vote on English laws, a lame attempt to prop up the Labour party who won't get a majority. If she wants to vote on English laws abolish the Scottish Parliament and have 1 UK Parliament

Lol no....the snp can and will do whatever they can for scotland. Voting in english only matters can indirectly help scotland...westminster wanted us united....they will have to suck it up

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