After his announcement on English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) in the aftermath of the independence referendum, David Cameron was accused of indulging in low politics by attempting to turn the result to party advantage.
To some it looked like a return to Westminster business as usual. The summit held by the Prime Minister at Chequers yesterday to appease backbenchers, particularly those on the right of his party, will have done little to change this impression. Tory grandees discussing the future of the constitution over a private, taxpayer-funded lunch at the Prime Minister's estate seemed some distance from the hopeful vision of a new kind of politics established by the remarkable referendum turnout.
The idea that Scots had somehow been bribed to vote No with the promise of more powers has led to unrest in Conservative ranks and Mr Cameron is trying to avoid a damaging internal rift ahead of the General Election. Senior figures have opposed greater powers without first resolving the EVEL question.
Number 10 has insisted that the timetable for enhanced devolution is on track, a mantra repeated by William Hague, who has been given the task of drawing up a fair settlement for the rest of the UK alongside new powers for Scotland.
He, and other MPs emerging from the Chequers lunch confirmed that Mr Cameron wants to deliver EVEL in parallel with greater powers in Scotland but that the latter is not contingent on the former. They cannot be linked in that way. It seems almost impossible that wider UK constitutional issues can be properly solved promptly from a standing start. Mr Cameron's plans, hastily announced, do not appear to have been thought through.
There are many complexities when addressing the West Lothian question. These include the anger of English MPs who rail at a system they view as unfair; the creation of two tiers of MP; and the establishment of a situation whereby an English parliament could block the will of the UK parliament.
Labour, too, faces major challenges in resolving its position on the issue. Much has been made of the way Scottish MPs can help deliver Ed Miliband the power he seeks. But if Labour backs away from commitments to Scots, a further backlash in its West of Scotland heartlands is likely. The referendum vote in North Lanarkshire and Glasgow was a warning.
Speaking today, Mr Miliband is expected to say that the UK is not in good health but that Scotland made the right choice, as will be proved in the years to come. He and Mr Cameron must remain aware that will not be enough. Greater powers must be delivered according to the timetable voters were promised.
As we report, there has been a huge increase in SNP membership since the Yes campaign's defeat. It is possible the party will soon have more members than the Liberal Democrats, having recruited nearly 17,000 new applications. This is another warning for the partners in the tripartite agreement to deliver greater powers for Holyrood. The question remains vital and they cannot dither.
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