If Scotland and Wales have their own Parliaments

I'm astounded that op thought this is 'England's election'.

Yes, I take your point. I was raising my eyebrows when someone on the news last night being interviewed in Watford said they didn't know who Nick Clegg was.

I'm not saying it's not unfair. I think it is. There is a difference between considering the merits of a system and deciding that it is unfair, and not actually understanding that system.

Tam Dalyell did indeed argue about the West Lothian question, and the fact that devolution has produced an imbalance. He did not, however, refer to UK General Elections as "English" elections. Because they are not. There is no English Parliament. That might be unfair, it might need to be altered. But it is a fact. There are 117 Westminster MPs who do not represent English constituencies. As the system stands, parties contesting those seats are not "interfering" in the "English" election. They are entitled to campaign, and to stand, for seats in the Parliament of the UK.

My concern is that there are a lot of people who genuinely have no idea how the political system of their country works. There are lots of problems with the current system, but we can't even begin to change them if people don't understand the status quo. This isn't just a problem that applies to devolutionary issues, but also to things like the electoral system we use.

Well add that well-known ignoramus Tam Dalyell to your list of those who don't understand. He thought the system post devolution: the West Lothian question, was very unfair, and he was a Scottish MP!

I do think there needs to be some serious voter education about how the political system in this country (by which I mean the UK) actually works. I feel entirely fed up of hearing and reading comments about Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish MPs "interfering" in "English" elections. I don't think the media helps: presumably they aren't making it clear enough because so many people are confused about it.

I wasn't really taught any of this in school (apart from in A Level politics, which is obviously optional and only taken by people who are already interested) and I'm only 23. Why isn't it explained properly? People should be armed with accurate information before they are of voting age. Never mind choosing between the parties on policy grounds - it's important that people understand the mechanics behind what they are doing.

Butterfly - yes I do realise that, and I'm not talking about Scottish MPs being barred from voting full stop. Only on the issues where the ruling in Westminister doesn't apply in Scotland/Wales. The tuition fees is one example, prescription charges is another (I know the WA vote on this seperately), things like how elderly care are organised.

Selkirk I don't understand what you mean - the issues which cover the whole UK are of course voted on by all MPs regardless of where their constituancy is.

Deals were done decades ago for the oil - the revenues go to whichever massive oil company bought the rights.

Scottish MPs do not vote on English matters. Why would they? It is a bit of a DM myth that parliament if full of wee ginger men stealing English wealth and interfering for their own evil ends.

I think (with modern advances in search/extraction) they are now thinking in terms of c.40 more years.

Even if it is just 25 years, with the way that oil prices are increasing, that is a hell of a lot of money!

Whoever it "belongs" to, what irritates me about Westminster (goverments of both hues) is that they have squandered its benefits without anything to show for it - unlike the Norwegians, who set up a fund from a proprtion of their oil revenues, in order to build and supprt therefore economy beyond the oil.

Welsh equivalent is an AM (Assembly Member).

But surely it works the same the other way round. Things like defence for example aren't devolved, yet "english" MPs, as well Scottish and Welsh MPs (note I said MPs, not MSP, and whatever Welsh equivalent is) vote on things regardless of if it's their consituency or not

WHy do we have to have so many layers of government?

Parish council
District council
County council
Westminster
Europe

Why another layer?

I resent Scottish MPs voting on matters which do not affect their constituencies. It is unfair.

I thought the oil revenue thing was false and used by the SNP to fuel the anti-English feelings. And aren't the oil reserves due to run out in about 25 years anyway? I really hate the "the English have stolen all our oil money!" thing.

Personally I think it should be all or nothing, either Scotland etc remains in the UK with everything decided at Westminster or becomes completely separate with everything decided in Edinburgh.

I believe public spending per head in Scotland is more that in England (could be wrong though).

helyg - I don't know whether it requires devolution, after all if Scotland, Wales and NI were fully devolved then there would be no need for another 'English' parliament because there would just be Westminister. I am wary of the extra opportunity for cost and waste that another parliament in England would create.

I don't see why it isn't a fairly simple matter to simply exclude Scottish, Welsh and NI MPs from certain votes. The cynic in me says that it is because Labour have so many Scottish MPs....

here is the link

I do not know how to do links but try this site for up to date figures on oil and economy:

www.oilofscotland.org/scottish_north_sea_oil.html

SNP MPs do not vote on England only matters.
Where did you get that piece of nonsense about the oil revenues? They are enormous and have kept the whole UK afloat for years. Being based on the price per barrel they, of course, rise every time the price of oil goes up. The UK treasury plays its cards very close to its chest iro oil revenues, licences, etc.

I agree Alibaba, but surely if England campaigned for devoloution you'd get it too? It took decades of campaigning to get it in Wales, it wasn't something that just happened overnight.

Although to be fair where we have Plaid Cymru you have the BNP...

it's an English election?
oh. I wasn't aware of that.

Are the Labour Party, Lib Dems and Tories English parties? Why have they put things through my door then

What I object to is the Scottish and Welsh MPs being able to vote in the Commons on purely English matters.

For example tuition fees. Scottish MPs voted to keep tuition fees for English students while voting to scrap them for Scottish students in their own Parliament. Very wrong IMO.

Prettybird - I am all for devolution, but I think you will find that the oil revenues just about pay for the additional per capita revenue that Scotland get from Westminister, so don't bank on Scotland suddenly being awash with cash.

Short answer: Because a lot of what happens in Wales and Scotland is decided in Westminster.

people refers to plural, rather than just you Fab.

That looked like it was aimed just at you and it wasn't.

LOL @ Ms Stroppy moaning about me being stroppy!

Maybe some of us are coming across as stroppy as we are fed up with certian people thinking the world revolves around them.

If you are genuinely interested in the differences in devolved powers:

NI Assembly and Welsh Assembly are both Assemblies with very limited powers

Scottish Parliament is a proper Parliament but does not control everything.

I'm all for education