Silent
Majority Speaks
Fury
over Cameron plan to silence Scottish MPs
£2bn
bill to pay for Scottish students' university places
Honeymoon?
More like shotgun wedding
Tory
pledge to limit votes by Scots MPs
England's
turn
Being
a Scot 'will stop Gordon Brown getting into No. 10'
United
by Gordon's hypocrisy
Scots
DO get too much money
The
McMafia threatening the UK
English
blow to Brown's PM hopes
How
Scottish MPs save Blair in vital schools vote
How
dare the Scots tell us what to do
Scottish
Parliament created the most grotesquely bloated public sector
in the developed world
Straight
to the Point
Now
the Scottish Parliament is in its new building, is there room
for 70 English members to vote on Scottish affairs? asks Mr P.
Cove, Bucks. - Daily Mail, Septemer 10, 2004
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Simon
Heffer - Daily Mail, November 6, 2004 - writes:
North
and South
If
the North East of England won't vote for a regional assembly,
no region will. The assembly was offered as an inadequate
expensive sop to the English for the financial and democratic
disadvantage their country has suffered through Welsh and
Scottish devolution.
What
now will be done to give just government to the prople of
England? The only solution is to ensure that only
English MPs are allowed to vote
in the Commons on laws that affect only
England.
The
shipping in of Scots MPs to help Labour win votes on matters
such as school and hospitals which are dealt with by the
Edinburgh parliament, is a constitutional scandal.
And
with regional assemblies now a dead duck, it must be stopped
forthwith.
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SHOULD SCOTTISH MPs
VOTE ON ENGLISH MATTERS?
The
Conservatives have come up with an answer to the so-called "West
Lothian Question" - why do Scottish MPs have a right to vote
on English-only issues, while English MPs share no such right
on subjects now decided by the Edinburgh parliament.
Recently
the Blair government came under fire for relying on Scots MPs
to push University tuition fees legislation through the Commons
- when the top-up fees system ministers want to apply to English
universities had already been rejected by the Scottish Parliament.
Shadow
Scottish Secretary Peter Duncan has pledged that a Conservative
government at Westminster would curb the voting rights of MPs
elected to the Commons to represent seats north of the border.
Speaking before delivering a lecture on "Making Devolution
Work" in Glasgow, he warned that Labour's determination to
force through controversial legislation with the votes of Scottish
MPs undermines the Union and plays into the hands of separatist
political parties.
Mr
Duncan said: "There is no going back on devolution. But if
we do not make it work, and answer the West Lothian Question,
the Union will suffer. The practice of Scottish MPs voting through
unwanted English-only legislation destabilises devolution and
plays into the hands of the separatists on both sides of the border."
Mr
Duncan provided the answer. "Give the Speaker of the House
of Commons the power to designate some legislation as English-only,
building on existing procedures that allow the Speaker to certify
bills as relating exclusively to Scotland. Bills would be considered
as at present, with Scottish MPs allowed to participate in the
debate. However, they would not be allowed
to vote on these Bills."
He
declared: "This is the only solution which not only recognises
and preserves, but also enhances the fairness and equity on which
the United Kingdom was built. English-only
or English and Welsh-only legislation answers the West Lothian
question, rebalances the constitution and commands overwhelming
public support in England and Scotland. It is vital for the cause
of stable devolution and the strength of the Union."
And what about the number
of MPs elected to the House of Commons. When Britain had an huge
Empire the Commons made do with 658 members. Now we have nothing,
and the EU is taking away our powers. Devolution has further eroded
decisions from Westminster. Why do we now have 659 members?
MPs have suggested
reducing the numberof MPs from 659 to 450 or 500.
Do
you agree?
Current
and prospective Parliamentary candidates of all Parties running
for election could share a platform at public forums in every constituency.
They would be presented with the results of polls on this
issue expressed by voters in their constituency.
The
candidates could be asked if their own views and that of their Party
manifesto corresponded with the polls, and if not, how they intended
to represent the will of the majority of local voters. Local
and National Press, Radio and TV coverage would be arranged and
the results published on this web site.
Here
is another powerful strategy for using your vote effectively in
the forthcoming General Election. Send your sitting and prospective
MPs a letter defining your requirements if they want your vote.
This example deals with the proposed
EU Constitutional Treaty.
Your
letters would end: "If
you do not answer this letter, I shall take it that you intend to
follow the Government line. I shall act accordingly in the forthcoming
General Election.
Here's
one you should write immediately:
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Dear
Despite
his absolute and unequivocal assurances over the past
year of the serious risk to our security of Saddam
Hussein's 'weapons of mass destruction', Prime Minister
Blair has admitted, that the threat was non-existent.
For that critical error of judgement and for his gross
incompetence in handling this very important issue,
I ask you to take immediate steps to ensure that Tony
Blair does the honourable thing and resign without
delay..
I
would therefore be much obliged if you would propose
and help mobilise a Parliamentary vote of 'No Confidence'
in Mr Blair which, despite Labour's huge majority,
would leave the PM with no option but to resign.
If
I get no reply to this letter, I shall assume you
will continue to support Mr Blair as our Prime Minister.
In such circumstances I shall not vote for you in
the forthcoming General Election.
Signed:
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Get
a printable copy of this letter here.
Or
why not create a questionnaire that you send to all the candidates
in your constituency, getting them to give yes/no answers to questions
of your choice, and ending it with the same paragraph(above).
Download
a printable example of the questionnaire.
It is
high time for the people of this United Kingdom to stop allowing
themselves to be manipulated by politicians. We need our representatives
in Parliament to genuinely reflect the view of the majority in their
own constituency, even if this means going against their personal
and/or their party's policy. While they may argue their case, hoping
to change the minds of the majority in their constituency, they
should ultimately be obliged to reflect the majority view of those
who elect them.
It will be argued by politicians
of all parties that most voters don't have the knowledge necessary
to express an opinion on important subjects at issue, and that our
vote is a form of delegated democracy. We should argue that it is
their duty to ensure that we voters do have ready access to such
information as is necessary to form an intelligent opinion. That,
after all, is one main purpose of Opposition Parties in our Parliamentary
Democracy.
Most important of
all, such proceedings would rekindle in voters their latent interest
and obligation to cast their vote,, knowing that the candidate of
their choice would be more likely to act in accordance with their
wishest. A much higher turnout in elections would be the result.
Contact your local
Party Chairman. Gain his support for setting up public forums in
your constituency on these, as well as any other relevant topics,
well before the next General Election expected in 2005. You should
then, depending on the integrity of the candidate of your choice,
feel fairly certain that your view on any subject being debated
in Parliament will more accurately be reflected by your representative
in that assembly.
If you have suggestions
for additional subjects, or material to include in the pages linked
to the subjects listed, please contact
the webmaster.
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