Independence referendum news: Tory MP says backbenchers may block Westminster plans for more devolution (Guardian) On the Week in Westminster Christopher Chope, a Conservative MP, said there was no guarantee that the extra powers for Scotland promised by David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg would every get through parliament. The proposals had not been properly discussed, Chope said. He said they should been put forward some time ago, and offered as an option to Scottish voters. If, for example, the UK parliament had wanted to discuss devo max, then the thing to have done would have been to put forward legislation on devo max two or three years ago so it was on the statute book, and then the Scots could have been given the choice in the referendum between independence and devo max that would have been approved by parliament. Chope was then asked if he thought there were enough MPs opposed to further devolution to Scotland to block Cameron’s plans. Chope replied: In isolation I’m sure there would be, because those powers would be powers for us to Scotland but there wouldn’t be any rebalance of the constitution and no discussion on some of the more basic issues that were raised in the MacKay report. How serious is this threat? There are two reasons for treating Chope’s warning with some caution. First, Cameron is not proposing to legislate before the election anyway. The timetable agreed by all the main parties is for draft legislation in January, with a bill going through the Commons after the general election. And, second, Chope seemed to be referring to Conservative MPs. The Lib Dems are very strongly in favour of further devolution to Scotland, and Labour is very supportive too. Yet, in a wider sense, Chope is clearly onto something, and his interview this morning probably marks the start of the Tory (or parliamentary) backlash against the plans to push the UK towards a federal model by giving Scotland greater powers over tax. Although the three main party leaders signed a joint declaration on this in August, there has been little or no discussion within the parties outside Scotland on these plans and - rightly or wrongly - the impression has been created that Cameron, Miliband and Clegg okayed this far-reaching constitutional change in a panic last weekend after one bad YouGov poll. At some point, in the event of no vote, there will have be be legislation in the Commons. And Chope (if he is still in parliament then) is unlikely to be the only MP with reservations about giving more devolution to Scotland but not to England.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 17:37:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015