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The West Lothian question,[1] also known as the English question,[2] is a political issue in the United Kingdom. It concerns the question of whether members of Parliament (MPs) from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales who sit in the House of Commons should be able to vote on matters that affect only England, while neither they nor MPs from England are able to vote on matters that have been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).[3] The term West Lothian question was coined by Enoch Powell MP in 1977 after Tam Dalyell, the Labour MP for the Scottish constituency of West Lothian, raised the matter repeatedly in House of Commons debates on devolution.[4][5]
In 2011 the UK Government set up the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons, chaired by Sir William McKay, former Clerk of the House of Commons, to examine the question.[6] The commission published a report in 2013 which proposed various procedural changes, including the recommendation that legislation which affects only England should require the support of a majority of MPs representing English constituencies. This recommendation was known as English votes for English laws.[7][8] Following the election of a Conservative majority government in the 2015 general election, new parliamentary procedures and a Legislative Grand Committee were enacted to bring it into effect.[9] The measures were subsequently abolished in 2021.[10]
- ^ "Labour rules out talks on 'English votes for English laws'". BBC News. BBC. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
But Mr Hague said the issue of "English votes for English laws", known as the West Lothian Question, had been talked about for nearly 20 years but nothing had been done.
- ^ "Scottish referendum: What is the 'English Question'?". BBC News. BBC. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ Bowers, Paul. "SN/PC/2586 - The West Lothian Question" (PDF). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
The constitutional anomaly whereby Members representing Scottish constituencies (and on occasion from Welsh and Northern Irish seats) may vote on legislation which extends to England but neither they nor Members representing English seats can vote on subjects which have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament has, since the 1970s, been termed the West Lothian Question.
- ^ "Now for the English question". The Economist. 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "West Lothian commission: Sir Emyr Jones Parry joins body". BBC News. BBC. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "Answer sought to the West Lothian question". BBC News. BBC. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
- ^ Report of McKay Commission (Report). 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "England-only laws 'need majority from English MPs'". BBC News. BBC. 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "English vote plan to become law despite objections". BBC News. BBC. 22 October 2015. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Commons scraps English votes for English laws". BBC News. 13 July 2021.