A future Prime Minister or Chancellor could still be an MP representing a Scottish constituency once the UK Government’s controversial English Votes for English Laws(Evel) proposal has been introduced, Chris Grayling, the Commons Leader, has insisted.
Appearing before the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, Mr Grayling faced a charge that Evel would mean Scottish MPs would be banned from a key stage of legislation and would in effect become second class citizens at Westminster.
But the frontbencher argued that the plan to allow English MPs a veto on England-only laws was a “sensible balance” given the extra powers being transferred to Holyrood.
He pointed out that under the Evel plan all UK MPs would still have the final vote on England-only legislation once it had passed approval from English MPs.
Asked by Scot John Stevenson, the Tory MP for Carlisle, if a Secretary of State, who represented a Scottish constituency, would have a vote in the England-only part of legislation, Mr Grayling said they would not and that it would be up to the government of the day to plan around that.
But he pointed out that this, in a way, had happened before, noting how John Reid, the former Member for Airdrie and Shotts, was Labour’s Health Secretary for England after health had been devolved to Scotland.
Mr Stevenson asked if there were a danger that future Secretaries of State could not be Scottish MPs, to which Mr Grayling replied: “I wouldn’t want to see that. I would want the best person for the job.”
Asked if, ultimately, there could be a situation, following Evel, where a prime minister could not come from a Scottish constituency, the Commons Leader said: “Just the opposite. With a stronger Union, we should make sure…the Prime Minister should be able to come from any part of the United Kingdom.”
Mr Grayling, responding to the question that could a Scot be PM even if he did not command a majority among English MPs, said: “Yes. Ultimately, we are one united kingdom. They command a majority in the United Kingdom and therefore are the prime minister, very definitely.”
But his view contrasted with that of Mr Grayling’s Labour Shadow, Chris Bryant, who represents Rhondda and who told the committee that the Conservative Government through Evel was “chopping up the constitution”.
When the SNP’s Pete Wishart, the committee chairman, suggested the proposed change could stop a non-English MP ever becoming prime minister, Mr Bryant replied: “Indeed. The point is extremely well made.”
Mr Grayling, who made clear Evel would be reviewed after 12 months to ensure it was being introduced smoothly, indicated that tomorrow during Business Questions he would say when MPs would have a debate and vote on the planned changes to the Standing Orders that will introduce Evel.
It is understood that the Commons Procedure Committee, which has been examining Evel, will publish its report on Monday and, therefore, the debate and vote will happen after that; sometime next week.
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