A Conservative MP has lost his bid to change the law to prevent fellow Scots from voting in the 2015 General Election in the event of a Yes vote in the indepedence referendum.
John Stevenson, who is originally from Aberdeen and who represents Carlisle, was denied permission to bring in his proposed Representation of the People (Scotland) Bill by 226 votes to 16, a majority of 210.
He has been warning that it would be wrong for newly elected Scots MPs to decide the next Prime Minister only to leave the UK 10 months later.
He said the rest of the UK would find it unacceptable if a new set of Scottish MPs was elected just months before Scotland planned to declare independence. He also told the Commons yesterday that Scots MPs should similarly not have a potentially casting vote on laws that would not be implemented in an independent Scotland.
"Why should the people of Northern Ireland, Wales and England have laws passed upon them in this House by MPs who will, for all intents and purposes, be about to be part of a foreign country with divergent interests and priorities?" he said.
The SNP said that if they won this year's referendum, Scotland would not declare independence until March 2016, with the delay necessary to conduct in-depth divorce discussions on everything from North Sea oil to national debt. But concerns have emerged about the impact on the election, due to be held in the middle of the negotiations.
The move was opposed by Labour who said Scots could not be expected to pay taxes and obey the laws of a country they remained part of without having a voice in parliament.
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