Anne Marie has made a statement regarding the Scottish independence referendum and the issue of English votes for English laws.
“I was pleased with the result, as the union between England and Scotland has served both countries and its people well for over 300 years. The result has also highlighted a number of problems relating to England and its voters which I believe now require urgent attention from the Government.
The Barnett Formula was devised nearly 40 years ago to spread Government public expenditure between the four nations of the UK. Devolution has dramatically changed the landscape in recent years, with the Scottish Parliament getting its own budget and powers, yet the Barnett formula still allocates around £1,600 a year extra to each person in Scotland compared to their English counterpart. With further ‘devo max’ powers being promised to the Scots, I believe that this financial deal is no longer fair or justifiable, and must be reformed. The rurality of Scotland is often cited as a reason for justifying their higher payment, but Devon is rural too, and we have exactly the same challenges! I will be pressing the Government to reform the Barnett formula in the coming months.
Since I was elected in 2010, I have been unable to vote on matters including health and education which are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but Scottish MPs have been able to vote on all matters relating to my constituents in Teignbridge. This is clearly a nonsense which now needs to be addressed. We need to see urgent legislation – running in tandem with new powers for the Scottish Parliament, which results in only English MPs being able to vote on issues concerning England. This can be done by setting aside specific days in the House of Commons to debate English-only legislation.
People who make the argument that this would create two classes of MP are missing the point – that is already the reality of the situation we have today!”