MPs have just approved the change to the Commons regulations that will introduce English votes for English laws by 312 votes to 270.
The proposals mean an additional stage of scrutiny in the Commons where a grand committee of either English MPs or English and Welsh MPs can consider and veto the proposals. It is not particularly clear how often this situation would arise, and therefore it really does remain to be seen whether this will practically make a great deal of difference to Parliament.
The debate on the measure saw Scottish National Party MPs warning of the creation of two classes of MP, and of damage to the Union. Labour’s Chris Bryant also warned of the politicisation of the Speaker of the House of Commons and accused the Tories opposite of not understanding their own legislation. But his colleague Jonathan Reynolds criticised his own party’s inadequate response to the Tory plan, acknowledging that it did address a genuine sense of resentment among English voters, even if he opposed what had been brought before the House today.
The SNP are being the most vocal about this result, unsurprisingly. But one of the reasons they are being vocal is that this result still benefits them by undermining the Union and suggesting that Westminster is less keen to hear from Scots than many of its inhabitants claimed just over a year ago in the referendum campaign.
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