Skipper

Anyone who insists individual MPs have no impact should consider ('Black')Tam Dalyell's famous question on why the representative for West Lothian could vote on English matters while, following devolution, English MPs could not vote on Scottish matters by virtue of the Scottish Parliament's domestic jurisdiction. Seldom has a question -the famous West Lothian one- resonated so damagingly for a policy which had clearly not been properly thought through.

However, I suggest that much hypocrisy exists in the emerging Conservative position on this subject. They are aware that Scottish MPs provide a crucial element of Labour's majority and hope to neutralize it by exploiting the WLQ and also the incipient resentment felt by the English that the Scots do so much better out of the Treasury's annual largesse(see my post for yesterday). However shrill their protest that they are basing their position on democratic principle, I ask them to recall their attitude towards Ulster Unionists following The Government of Ireland Act in 1920.

For most of the time these MPs acted as de facto Conservatives on most matters pertaining to the UK, sitting with the Conservatives and providing a Conservative whip. I can't quite recall the Conservatives ever expressing any concern about their Ulster supports in the House, being able to vote on English matters while their equivalents were precluded by the jurisdiction of Stormont.