David Cameron has today pledged that a Conservative government will put English MPs only voting into the first budget of the next Parliament.
Speaking with former Foreign Secretary William Hague who has spearheaded this policy, Mr Cameron put an English only Income Tax at the centre of his proposals. He also stated that scrutiny of new Bills would take place by MPs from those areas affected and a Grand Committee made up of English MPs would decide on legislation.
However Mr. Cameron ruled out an English Parliament saying he did not support English nationalists. He added that the full proposals would be put forward during the first 100 days of forming a government.
The Prime Minister confessed during the launch that bringing in the policy was not “an easy thing to do” but was essential as more powers were devolved to Scotland. He claimed that redressing “constitutional unfairness” would bring the Union closer together.
The pledge follows a commitment made outside No.10 Downing Street after the Scottish Independence result where he acknowledged that any further devolution to Scotland, short of independence, could not be in isolation and needed to extend to England as well. Reiterating this pledge within the first ever ‘English Manifesto’ will only help the Conservative Party’s narrative against the threat posed by the SNP in a future UK Parliament.
Labour’s Harriet Harman responded by saying the proposals were on the ‘back of an envelope” and that any devolution within England should be taken forward on a cross-party basis.
