The SNP is escalating its efforts to disrupt governance in England and irk the Tories. Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the party will continue interfering in English only laws, and an SNP MP said their next target is the English “assisted suicide” bill, which they could realistically force through with their block voting power.
Yesterday, the SNP abandoned its commitment to abstain from English only laws by sabotaging a vote on fox hunting. The party explained the move was revenge for the “arrogant” Tory plans to introduce English votes for English laws (Evel) and their opposition to further devolution of power to Scotland.
The Nationalists count the suspension of the Hunting vote as their fourth victory against the Tories in the 68 days of this parliament so far – the others being the postponement of the human rights act, the refusal of a joint elections / referendum date, and the postponement of the Evel rules.
The next English-only law in their sights, an unnamed SNP MP told The Times last night, is the “assisted dying” bill, which is due for it’s next reading in September. The vote probably won’t be whipped, and the SNP could easily control the outcome by deploying their 56 strong block vote.
Something as morally contentious as suicide could be easily legalised, against English wishes, because of the political games of the SNP.
Sturgeon attempted to justify the party’s petty agitation by claiming the Scottish Nationalists were the true representatives of English voters yesterday. When considering the Fox Hunting vote, she claimed, the SNP listened to people “mainly from England.”
“We’ve made a judgment… based on what we consider the will of the people who have made their views know to us, in terms of how they want us to vote,” she said on Channel 4 News.
She then refused to give any indication of what devolved issues she will try and control, for example education or health, saying they will “make a judgment on a case by case basis,” so leaving the English electorate completely in the dark.
What the SNP don’t seem to realise, though, is their escalating war of attrition is only making the case for rapidly implementing Evel stronger.
Despite the original Evel vote which was planned to take place this week being dropped, the government has already announced two days to debate the complex constitutional changes in chamber, starting today, followed by re-drafting and a re-scheduled vote sometime this autumn.
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