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Answering the West Lothian Question: a Critical Assessment of 'English Votes for English Laws' in the UK Parliament

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Kenny, MH 
Gover, Daniel 

Abstract

In 2015, the UK House of Commons adopted new procedures known as ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (EVEL). This article evaluates whether EVEL has succeeded in answering the West Lothian Question, a constitutional anomaly arising from the asymmetrical character of governance in the UK. After outlining the historical background against which EVEL emerged as a supposed solution to this iconic question, the paper explains how the 2015 reform works, and proceeds to assess its operation during the 2015-17 parliament. It concludes that these new procedures appear to have overcome the main practical and constitutional obstacles associated with this type of reform, but they have, so far, failed to provide meaningful English representation at Westminster – particularly in relation to supplying England, and its MPs, with an enhanced ‘voice’.

Description

Keywords

4802 Environmental and Resources Law, 48 Law and Legal Studies

Journal Title

Parliamentary Affairs

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0031-2290
1460-2482

Volume Title

71

Publisher

OUP
Sponsorship
This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Centre on Constitutional Change [grant number ES/L003325/1]; and by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant [grant number SG152634].