The coming into force of ‘English votes for English laws’ (EVEL) in 2015 did not resolve the West Lothian Question. While EVEL went some way towards establishing a discernible political identity for England by allowing English MPs the opportunity to veto laws which affect England only, there is still a long way to go before there is parity between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This suggests that further devolution is essential.
Critics point to the fact that EVEL does not go far enough because when considering bills which are applicable to England only, English MPs only have the opportunity to veto a bill in its initial stages. For a bill to become a statute, it still requires a majority of affirmative votes from all MPs, including those of non-English constituencies, thereby allowing elected members from the devolved assemblies and parliament to vote on bills which affect England only. In 2015, Scottish MPs were able to block Conservative proposals to lift the existing ban on fox hunting by threatening to vote down any changed legislation by assembling a coalition of MPs sufficient to block the proposals.
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