I spent most Friday in and around Beckenham itself. I needed to catch up with some office work anyway. In the afternoon I paid a quick visit to my old office in Westminster to retrieve a book written by my friend the late Harry Verlander about his time as a Special Operations Executive operative in World War Two. I am truly honoured that his wife Elizabeth has asked me to speak about Harry’s life at his funeral in St George’s next Tuesday.
Leaving that personal matter and going back to political affairs I am very pleased that David Cameron has declared firmly that English MPs alone must decide matters that impact on England.
To be honest I never thought devolving power to a new Scottish Parliament was a good idea – even well before I was an MP. The move was prompted by a well-meaning, principally Labour plan – led by the late Donald Dewer MP - that hoped setting up such a system would satisfy Scottish nationalist aspirations. However both he and the Labour Government really got that one wrong. All it did was stoke the nationalists’ fire which has become a raging inferno of demands. We now have a situation where it is conceivable that every parliamentary seat in Scotland would be taken by an SNP candidate.
For me the long running and so-called West Lothian Question whereby Scottish MPs can vote on matters affecting England but not Scotland has never been satisfactorily resolved. With the Scottish Parliament demanding (and getting) more tax raising powers resolution of this matter has become even more urgent. The Smith Commission, whose recommendations have been accepted, has stated that Scotland should be given right to set its own income tax rates and bands as well as air passenger duty. Obviously the same must apply in England as far as I am concerned.
I have always fully supported the idea that English MPs should ultimately decide on any parliamentary proposals that impact only on England. Thus I am more than happy that David Cameron has pledged that ‘English votes for English laws’ would be in place by the first budget of a Conservative Government. These proposals, after more financial powers were devolved to Scotland, would include an English rate of income tax which would apply to Wales and Northern Ireland as well. Hurrah!