When it comes to real democracy this is a hum dinger!

If the Tory press got their priorities right they would spend more time addressing this REAL ISSUE that is flagrantly obvious to a five year old, rather than harping on about the EU.

Let's get back English sovereignty and enjoy our "independence" within a United Europe!

Peter Goddard, Epsom, England, EU.

Would the Tories be so keen to do this if their were more Tories PMs from Scotland at Westminster after all the Scots love the Tories so much they currently only have one Mp from Scotland at Westminster. If its English only matters for English PMs then it should be Scots PMs only on none devolved matters. In that case Scotland would not have been used as Guinea Pigs for the Poll tax as English Tories MPs voted on We may have even got the refit on Trident
All this is doing is building an anti Scott's momentum in England Its high time folk south of Watford realised that Scotland is a Country not a region of Britain

IMACOMPUTERBUDDIE, isle of cumbrae, scotland

It's funny, since 1823, 14 laws have been passed in Scotland that Scots MP's did not want, in that same time frame to date there have only been 7 laws passed in England that the majority of English MP's did not want. Devolution stopped 14 becoming 15, but you guys down South can't complain until you hit the 14 mark either, if it was good enough for us then surely it's good enough for you...

Will the new formula take into account all the oil monies from Scottish waters because that is where the extra cash comes from? Having the worst poverty and violence in the developed world as found by the UN, surely entitles us to a little extra too, no?

Graeme, Edinburgh,

As a Scot I can tell you that many of us think this is unfair and don't like it either.

The system breeds resentment from the numberous English people that live in Scotland... regardless of whether they get the benefits or not (or whether they have even been to England in the last 20 years).

This problem needs to be fixed and Alex Salmond has the best idea. I'm not for the break up of the Union but a seperate English parliament (or indeed two North and South English parliaments) with the same powers as the Scottish one alongside an overarching UK parliament would be much fairer.

Bob, Aberdeen,

So elected English people, living in England having a vote on English issues would threaten the union? How did we all guess that they may come up with something shocking in order to threaten us all? The union be damned, this is England and it should belong exclusively to the English.

judy, Liverpool, england

How much travelling expense and CO2 would be saved if the Scots in the "English Parliament" stayed up north.Let alone other incidental costs.

derek bevan, Huntingdon/Cambs, England/UK

If it looks like an elephant, feels like an elephant and smells like an elephant guess what... it's probably an elephant. Union what union? Maria is right, if you give England a parliament it is the end of the union. Thanks Blair, you have your legacy. England must have a parliament and the union will end. On the 26th October - King Alfred's day, England was 1080 years old. The 300 year old imperial party is over, it actually finished in 1945 but nobody told the British. Well the train to independence is now in the station and is just about to leave. All aboarrrdddd!!!!

stubby, Telford, England

When it comes to real democracy this is a hum dinger!
If the Tory press got their priorities right they would spend more time addressing this REAL ISSUE that is flagrantly obvious to a five year old, rather than harping on about the EU.

Let's get back English sovereignty and enjoy our "independence" within a United Europe.

Peter Goddard, Epsom, England, EU.

I think all the British MP's should stop trying to earn Brownie points against each other and FOCUS on the future of the whole of the United Kingdom.
There are more important matters to worry about South of the Boarder and North of the Boarder such as Gun crimes, illegal immigrants etc.

Bill Ewing, Dundee, UK

When it comes to real democracy this is a hum dinger!
If the Tory press got their priorities right they would spend more time addressing this REAL ISSUE that is flagrantly obvious to a five year old, rather than harping on about the EU.

Let's get back English sovereignty and enjoy our "independence" within a United Europe.

Peter Goddard, Epsom, England, EU.

Scotland has its own Health Service which is paid for from the Scottish budget.
Up until now it has always suited English national interest to have an economically dependant Scotland (or at least the perception of such) on the northern border. With the larger European Union beckoning for greater intigration, and the Empire long gone, there is no pressing need for the UK. Why be a member of two unions?

David Glen, Glasgow, Strathclyde

How many bang on along the lines:
"If Scotland wants X then let Scotland pay for it"?

A couple of facts:
1) Scotland gets a block grant, and if the govt. wants to abolish prescription charges it comes out of that, not from any extra money.

2) North Sea oil has kept the UK afloat for the last 30+ years.

Andy, Glasgow, Scotland

Phillip Webster , you lack vision in your approach to this. You cannot have Parliaments in Scotland and Wales with greater fiscal and political autonomy and at the same time not have one for England. That would be regional imbalance and unfairness if there ever was one.
New Labour started the devolution process and they cannot be hypocrites of their own making. If you believe in equality then you shall stand forth and demand a Parliament for the English. Anything short is hypocrisy of the highest magnitude by those architects whom devised the devolution process and they know it.
Furthermore such regional imbalances by the denial of an English Parliament can be challenged successfully in the European Courts. I think the constitutional experts know that as well. There can be no form of discrimination in these lands whatsoever and that includes political ones as well.

The Director, LONDON, England

The SNP in Westminster have NEVER voted on English only issues.
I would expect other MPs in Scotland Wales and Ireland would think that the situation is unfair and would gladly abstain too!
As someone mentioned the Scots have been ruled and ignored,much like the North of England for a very,very long time.Scotland has had a devolved parliament for only eight years.
Can someone tell me why the labour,Conservative and Liberal party refuse to allow us Scots a vote on independence?
Are they scared that we will vote with a resounding 'Yes'?
Otherwise,what has Scotland got that the UK government is so keen to hang on to?

Disgruntled Dorothy, Glasgow, Scotland

What an absolute cheek for the Labour Government to acuse the Conservative proposal as "leading to the break up of the Union". This Government has instigated the misguided policies that will inevitably lead to that break up, and the Conservatives are at least trying to suggest some logic and integrity into the debacle that Labour has created.

Steve, London, UK

The big issue with us South of the border is that the so called NATIONAL Health Service descriminates to the detriment of the English contributors.
It is a totally unacceptable and disgraceful situation and if it is allowed to continue then Scotland needs to brace itself for an influx of silver rinsers.
If Scotland wants its own rule then great let it have its own health service and let it pay for it.

Dek Crossingham, Birmingham, England

Bit rich coming from Labour.

They were the ones that broke the Union via devolution.

Richard Drayton, Bromley,

Does no one else see the irony of an expanding EU, when the Union of the UK is breaking up. History repeating itself - hopefully the EU won't last as long as the ROman Empire. And the Scots deserve their idependance, as do the English.

W Smith, Oldham,

Again the government is in denial. Under Blair, they promised to address the West Lothian Question. Now they attack a solution put forward by the opposition without presenting their own.

Ian Allerton, Watford,

Labour "put the Union in peril" years ago with Scottish and Welsh devolution. The time has come to redress the balance. We don't want regional goverment as Harriet Harman suggests. We want a full strength ENGLISH government with all the same powers etc as the Scottish version. We could of course use the moment to fix other non working parts of democracy like the removal of any authority not actually directly elected by the people (National Park Authorities and Regional Councils in England come to mind).
I think all this comes under the heading of fixing the mess that Labour have got us into.

Dave Rushworth, Lancaster, UK

Look at this proposal logically. Given that devolution exists, the situation now results in Scottish MPs having two votes - on Scottish and on UK domestic legislation. That cannot be just and if the Scots want devolution, they must accept that they cannot vote on English domestic matters. What would be the reaction if English MPs had retained the right to vote on Scottish domestic legislation?

John, Eastbourne, UK

There was no 'delicate balance' until Labour foisted this inequitable devolution system on us, it is entirely their fault that unfairness will eventually be resented and reform ensue. The Union is certainly in peril if based on this current constitutional injustice.
Why did Brown et al imagine that the English constituencies would settle for MPs from North of the border voting on English policies, often detrimental to the English, while their own constituents are under a different parliament?

Cheryl, Witney, UK

Harriet Harman as Deputy Leader of the Labour party thinks people want more regional devolution in England. Just like John Prescott (as deputy leader of the Labour party) suggested regional assemblies (rejected) and elected mayors (rejected in some places). One wonders quite where the evidence supporting Ms Harman's ideas come from! Given the electoral logic, especially once Scotland and Wales are included, is skewed towards Labour, is her response any surprise?

So, a challenge to Ms Harman: try it - experiment with a practice that Scottish and Welsh MPs do not vote on matters solely about England. If the union seems to collapse, move away from the practice and everyone can think again. At present alarmist language is being bandied around without any actual evidence being put forward.

John, London,

This is a classic Union break up situation.

History shows that as soon as the main country of a Union has its own parlament, in this case England, - it would be the death warrant for the whole Union.

When Russia had it parlament, the Soviet Union broke appart.

The largest country must NOT have its own parlament for the Union to survive

Maria, Moscow, Russia

The Conservative plan for an "English Grand Committee" only makes sense if it is the intention of certain jingoistic elements within the party to irrevocably damage the delicate constitutional balance presently ascendant. Whilst it would be desirable to enable English MP's to vote on English matters, Westminster remains home to the British parliament - not England's. If devolution is to work properly, we must all have our own parliaments, or not at all, but denuding Westminster of its historical inheritance is not the way to do this. Furthermore, the Conservatives forget that England overwhelmingly dominates not only Westminster, but the United Kingdom proper, due to its sheer size and economic clout. Therefore, what affects England affects the United Kingdom as well. It is thus extremely difficult to say what does and/or does not constitute an English only matter. Hence the danger of this model. Nevertheless, a broad-based constitutional re-modelling for the future is much desired.

Tim Palmer, Leicester, UK

The Tories are right for once (though for the wrong reasons of course). Scots MPS probably should have no say on purely English matters; just as English MPs should have no say on purely Scots matters. The Scots had the sense to set up their own parliament - the English would benefit from the same.

Baxter, Dunedin,

Was the Union really safe after Devolution? The proposal for a English Grand Committee is a practical solution to solve an unfairness against the English.

I find it both amusing and tragic that everyone seems to have fixated on this proposal as the "cause" of a possible break up of the Union and completely ignored Devolution which happened only a few years ago and allowed the SNP to take governent in Scotland.

John Goh, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Typical.......so after decades of English MP's meddling in Scottish affairs the English are now complaining about the boot being on the other foot. Long may this continue, thankfully it appears true that "what goes around comes around" and it has been a long time coming and I'm sure the Scots are quietly smirking to themselves at the English reaction.

john, bc canada,