The West Lothian Quesion

I don't know precisely to what extent Ken Clarke has cracked it. The lasting anomaly that a Scottish MP can vote on matters that do not affect his own constituents, but apply only to England does need to be addressed; but in all honesty this is a problem that will very probably lose resonance rapidly after the next election. The circumstances where it would become acute are where Labour wins a narrow majority on the basis of its Scottish MPs and uses that majorityto force through radical changes to English public services. That looked very likely a year ago - it looks much less likely now.

That being said, Labour should try and ensure that when it is asked to put up opponents of the scheme, it tries to find MPs not from its Celtic fringe. Listening to some tuppeny-ha'penny Scottish Labour MP explaining on the Today programme this morning why it was essential that he should be allowed to vote on matters that don't concern him was irritating; reading the whingings of a Welsh Labour MP that the Tories are devaluing the Union are even more so.