Local MP
presents English votes petition to Parliament
Fiona Bruce MP, Patron of the Fair Votes for All campaign, this
evening presented to Parliament a petition calling for English votes for
English issues to be introduced in the House of Commons as soon as possible.
Petitions have been raised in dozens of constituencies across England. There
was a co-ordinated presentation of the petitions to the Speaker in the House of
Commons Chamber, with MPs from across England taking part.
Fiona Bruce said: “I am delighted to be presenting this
petition for English votes for English issues on behalf of my constituents. The
people of the Congleton Constituency expect a fair settlement for all parts of
the United Kingdom. We want to be able to decide our own priorities on issues
such as health, education and local government, just as the people of Scotland
are currently able to do. It is a basic unfairness that Scottish MPs can
currently vote on English-only issues. English votes for English issues is a
simple, but important change that will remove this injustice.
“With the threat of an SNP-Labour Coalition
just a few weeks away, we cannot risk the possibility that Alex Salmond will
decide how English hospitals and English schools are run. English votes for
English issues is the best way of ensuring Scottish Nationalists do not
determine English-only issues.”
Graham Stuart MP, Chairman of the Fair Votes
for All campaign, said: “Fiona is a fantastic local campaigner. She
has done a great job representing the views of her constituents. People in Congleton
feel strongly that their voice in Parliament on English-only issues should not
be diluted by Scottish MPs. I congratulate Fiona for raising her petition which
calls for an end to this fundamental unfairness.”
ENDS
- Fair Votes for All is a cross-party
campaign to introduce English Votes for English Issues as soon as possible
in the House of Commons.
- The wording of the petition is:
“Declares that the Petitioners believe that
when Parliament makes decisions affecting only the people of England, or
England and Wales then those decisions should be made only by the Members of
Parliament elected to represent England, or England and Wales; and
The Petitioners therefore request that the
House of Commons creates fairness in the devolution settlement by ensuring
decisions having a separate and distinct effect on England, or England and
Wales, are decided only by the Members of Parliament elected to represent
England, or England and Wales. And the Petitioners remain, etc.”
