West Lothian question

noun

1. the apparent inconsistency that members of parliament who represent Scottish constituencies are eligible to vote at Westminster on matters that relate only to England, whereas members of parliament from English constituencies are not eligible to vote on Scottish matters

Word History and Origins

Origin of West Lothian question¹

C20: because the issue was first raised by the Scottish politican Tam Dalyell (born 1932) at the time when he was MP for West Lothian

Example Sentences

It was an attempt to address the so-called "West Lothian Question" - in which English MPs could not vote on matters devolved to other parts of the UK, but Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland MPs could vote in Westminster on England-only matters.

From BBC

If you've heard of the West Lothian Question, that's what we're talking about here.

From BBC

Tony Blair's first Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, was once quoted as saying the best thing to do about the West Lothian question was to "stop asking it".

From BBC

In a parliamentary debate on devolution in 1977, Dalyell first proposed what would become known as the West Lothian Question.

From BBC

But he was probably best known for his pursuit of Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Belgrano during the Falklands War - and for his formulation of the "West Lothian Question", about the role of Scottish MPs after the establishment of the Scottish parliament.

From BBC