GORDON Brown has condemned David Cameron's plans on English Votes for English Laws(Evel), which would ban Scottish MPs from certain Westminster votes, as a cynical ploy that would endanger the "very survival of the UK".
The former Prime Minister's warning came after William Hague set out the Tories' answer to the West Lothian Question and before a debate by MPs this evening on Scottish representation in the Union.
In a keynote speech, the Commons Leader said it was "simply not sustainable", because of enhanced devolution to Holyrood, that Scottish MPs could still have the decisive say on similar matters, which affected only England.
The Tory proposal would, he explained, enable English MPs to have a veto on Bills or parts of Bills that applied only to England; Scottish MPs would be banned from certain scrutiny stages of legislation, including Budget votes.
Yet all MPs would be able to vote on a final 'take it or leave it' vote on an England-only Bill. Concerned Tory right-wingers claimed this was a dilution of Evel as Scots could still block a Bill agreed by most English MPs.
But Mr Brown was adamant the Tories' plan put party before country, declaring: "They risk the very survival of the UK."
The Kirkcaldy MP claimed when the country needed a unifying period of reconciliation, the Tories had repudiated the proposal of the Smith Commission, which said all UK MPs should decide all aspects of the UK Budget.
"The Conservatives have acted with huge cynicism," argued Mr Brown. "It was they who proposed devolving all Scottish income tax to the Scottish Parliament and they have now made this the pretext for giving English MPs the power of veto on the annual Budget vote on income tax rates.
"They are thus seeking to embed at the heart of our constitution two classes of elected representatives: the English, who vote on everything, and the Scots, and over time the Welsh and Northern Irish, who are allowed to vote on only some things."
The ex-PM added that in tonight's Commons debate he would "propose an alternative to this dangerous and potentially ruinous course they have now embarked upon".
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