Heywood and Middleton candidates express views on banning Scottish MPs from voting on English laws

The candidates for the Heywood and Middleton by-election have expressed their views regarding banning Scottish MPs from voting on English Laws.

As more powers are handed to Scotland, many in England believe it is untenable for Scottish MPs to continue voting on issues relating to England.

The Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Heywood and Middleton, Iain Gartisde, claims Labour should stand up and “do the right thing” by backing English votes for English law in Parliament.
 
Mr Gartside said he supports plans by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to ensure legislation at Westminster affecting solely England is only voted on by English MPs.
 
The current situation allows MPs representing countries in the UK which enjoy devolved matters to still vote on laws exclusive to English residents.

Labour Leader Ed Miliband has refused to back the proposals.
 
Mr Gartside said: “I am calling on Labour politicians across the north west to do the right thing and demand English votes for English laws. MPs should not vote on matters that do not affect their constituents, this is basic democracy. I wouldn’t expect to be able to vote in the Scottish Parliament on say a health issue in Edinburgh.

“So far Labour’s response nationally has been a joke with Ed Miliband shying away from this needed democratic change in a completely unacceptable way.” 

The Liberal Democrat candidate, Anthony Smith said: “It is clearly nonsense that Scottish MPs should be able to vote on things that only affect England. But more rule of the North by London is not the answer either. We need devolution to the regions of England and our Health and Education services should be run by people in the North West or even Greater Manchester. We need devolution to the North, not to London."

John Bickley, UKIP parliamentary candidate for Heywood and Middleton, said: “UKIP is a national party with representatives in all four nations of the United Kingdom. We want a new constitutional settlement for the UK which includes a fair deal for the 86% of the UK’s population who live in England.

"We want English only votes in Westminster on English matters and UKIP leader Nigel Farage has written to all Scottish MPs asking for their commitment not to vote on English matters that would otherwise fall within devolved powers if they related to Scotland.

"We also want a revision of the Barnett Formula and a full debate and vote in the House of Commons to rebalance this arbitrary and out-of-date concept.

"The Labour party want English voters to continue subsidising Scottish voters to the tune of £1,600 a year. That is patently unfair and everyone in the whole country should get their fair share. The English are being penalised so that Labour maintains the influence of their Scottish MPs.

"There should be no taxation without equal representation. The Electoral Commission must determine new boundaries for the constituencies of Scottish MPs so that the average number of constituents more closely resembles that in England.

"We need a constitutional convention. Such a convention needs to be rapidly established to put in place a plan for a federal UK.

"UKIP is confident that fulfilling these reasonable requests is vital to retaining the confidence of the electorate in a United Kingdom in which so many powers have been devolved.”

Abi Jackson, the Green party’s candidate, said: “Only a genuinely radical new settlement including meaningful electoral reform, a fully-elected Upper House, a written constitution, greater powers for local and regional government, the extension of the right to vote to all 16-year-olds, and a process that allows the total recall for all elected politicians, will transform the governance of the UK so that it works for the common good. 

“Quick fixes are not the answer – there must be a proper people’s constitutional convention that allows everyone to have a say.  For the Westminster parties just to decide what changes should happen in a very short time scale, is no change at all. 

“For there just to be a ban on Scottish MPs voting on English issues, would be a fundamental break of the constitution of the United Kingdom.  It would be like saying that Middleton or Heywood councillors could not vote on Rochdale issues at Council meetings.

“The Green Party will argue for the new settlement to be subject to a real debate and a referendum.”

Labour candidate, Liz McInnes did not respond.