Scottish MPs are being “actively prevented” from voting on legislation of interest to people in Scotland, an SNP MP has said.
SNP Westminster chief whip Patrick Grady criticised the workings of the English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) legislation as he suggested SNP MPs would walk through the division lobbies in defiance if a vote was called.
Mr Grady (Glasgow North) accused the Tory government of “creating two classes of members in the House of Commons”.
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He warned the arrangement was “not a partnership of equals” and “it’s not something that’s going to be sustainable for much longer”.
Speaking during the NHS Funding Bill Legislative Grand Committee (England), he said: “Four days after the UK leaves the EU and the Tory government chooses to display its love for the precious Union on these islands by creating two classes of members in the House of Commons.
This afternoon we will vote on the NHS funding bill that has spending consequences for Scotland. It has been deemed England only with signs put up in the voting lobbies. There is an answer to this, we can have independence if they want an English Parliament. pic.twitter.com/X50OENCQUx
— Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) February 4, 2020
“Those who can amend legislation and those who can’t, well … thank you, thank so much, because the polls are showing that support for independence in Scotland has reached 52 per cent and growing, and that is not going to go away.
“Constituents in Scotland will be watching today’s proceedings and wanting to know why their MPs are not allowed to vote on amendments that could increase health spending, not just here in England, but across the whole of the UK.”
Mr Grady added: “So, if the official opposition choose to push any of their amendments this afternoon, we will seek to express our views on behalf of our constituents by walking through the division lobbies.
“We will walk past the signs that say England only and if the tellers from the Government whip’s team choose not to count us, that will be their decision.”
Several SNP MPs took to social media to air their grievances with the procedure.
Some posed for a picture outside the lobby, holding signs that read "Speak no Evel".
Today #Scottish & #Welsh MPs have been excluded from voting on a Bill which has direct consequences on both our nations #NHS: nevertheless we sought to express our rights & the voice of our constituents #EVEL pic.twitter.com/jePflHBV5N
— Martin Docherty-Hughes 🏴🏳️🌈 (@MartinJDocherty) February 4, 2020
SNP constitution spokesman Pete Wishart added: “I understand that the England-only signs are already in the lobbies. England-only signs in the UK Parliament of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“What does that say to people from Scotland, what does that say about the fact that this is a Bill that determines so much of our health spending in Scotland. Surely the days of EVEL have to come to and end, we cannot got on like this.”
The Government, Mr Grady argued, had “chosen to convene an English Parliament here in the chamber of the House of Commons that is supposed to represent the whole of the UK”.
Mr Grady said there was a “very simple solution to this”, adding Scotland can become an independent country and England can have the Parliament “that it wants”.
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