An English Parliament - set up in the wake of the ‘no’ vote for Scottish independence - would not represent ‘true devolution’ warn town hall chiefs.
This morning, Prime Minister David Cameron promised new powers and freedoms given to Scotland would be done in tandem with a new settlement for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
‘It is absolutely right that a new and fair settlement for Scotland should be accompanied by a new and fair settlement that applies to all parts of our United Kingdom,’ he said.
‘So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues and all this must take place in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland.’
However, the Local Government Association said locally elected councils should be given fiscal freedoms and responsibilities in favour of creating a new English Parliament.
Chair of the LGA, Cllr David Sparks, said: ‘The Scottish referendum campaign has shown that public trust in the old ways of central control has been shattered beyond repair. That is why establishing an English Parliament, with MPs still calling the shots, would not represent true devolution.
‘It is locally elected councils - driving their local economies through devolved taxation and greater control over council tax and business rates - which can satisfy the desire of people in England to have greater say in the places they live and work.
‘One rule for Scotland and another for England is totally unacceptable. Local areas need to be set free from the grip of Whitehall and allowed to raise and spend money in a way which will best serve the people who live there, from equipping them with the skills for work to being able to build the homes people need. Crucially, this must be underpinned by a fair and equitable distribution of public money for all of the UK.’
As well as addressing the West Lothian question, Mr Cameron also pledged to give the Welsh Government and Assembly more powers, and to work with Northern Ireland to ensure the devolved institutions ‘function effectively’.
