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Tories Consider Jock Block
Britain's Conservative Party is looking at ways to solve one of the major problems caused by the devolution of power to Scotland - why is it that MPs of Scottish constituencies can vote on issues of health, education and transport in England, while control of those issues in Scotland has been placed in the hands of the Scottish parliament, beyond the reach of English MPs?
Their main recommendation is to ensure that Scottish MPs are prevented from voting on issues that apply only to England. One suggestion hinted at by party leader David Cameron is an "English votes for English MPs" day, where MPs would debate issues relating only to England. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs would be excluded from these debates. Such a solution would have happy consequences for the Tories, but would be disastrous for one Scot in particular: Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister Tony Blair's designated successor, is MP for the Scottish constituency of Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath.
A Tory spokesman said that it would be "almost impossible" for a Scottish MP to become Prime Minister should their proposals go ahead.
The Tory ploy - which was included in their last manifesto, but has taken on new life thanks to recent rows concerning British identity - would also scupper any prime ministerial ambitions harboured by Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, who represents North East Fife.
Brown has kept silent on the issue, but Campbell appears slightly rattled, warning that reform should not be introduced piecemeal but that the country needs "a constitutional convention to provide a constitution for 21st-century Britain."
"A constitution is like a brick wall - if you take out one brick without regard to the strength of the wall, it all comes tumbling down," he added, "What we don't need is knee-jerk responses driven by political opportunism."
Labour MPs also attacked the measure, accusing the Conservatives of using Scotland as a distraction from their less-than-spectacular performance in a by-election last week. Alastair Darling - another Scottish MP, and Trade and Industry Secretary to boot - warned that the proposals would lead to a "two tier" system at Westminister. Conservatives would argue that such a system already exists thanks to Scottish devolution:
"We have MPs from Scotland essentially telling England what to do when they are doing the opposite in Scotland, have no control over what they are doing in their own constituencies in Scotland and are not in any way accountable for the effects their actions have in England," said Conservative MP Alan Duncan.
