Wednesday, 13 October 2010

Smoking ban news north and south of the border

Scotland
And again 
England
And again
And again
And again

The failure of David Nuttall's bill that would have allowed licensees the choice of letting customers smoke to get even a hearing is disappointing, if not entirely unexpected. Surely the Scottish media will give it more coverage than this?

Did any Scottish MPs actually vote today? Devolution does complicate politics! These people are still accountable to those who voted for them, are they not? ... even if the final result doesn't have any immediate bearing on their lives.

2 comments:

Eddie Douthwaite said...

The answer to your question on whether Scottish MPs voted on what is purely an English matter is YES.

Two voted for the AYES and 16 for the NOES.

This raises the "West Lothian Question" once again.

Details below:-

AYES: 2

Harris, Mr Tom LAB South Glasgow

Thurso, John LD Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

NOES: 16
Begg, Miss Anne LAB Aberdeen South

Brown, Mr Russell LAB Dumfries and Galloway

Bruce, rh Malcolm LD Gordon

Clark, Katy LAB North Ayrshire and Arran

Clarke, rh Mr Tom LAB Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill

Connarty, Michael LAB Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Donohoe, Mr Brian H. LAB Central Ayrshire

Doyle, Gemma LAB West Dunbartonshire

Gilmore, Sheila LAB Edinburgh East

Lazarowicz, Mark LAB Edinburgh North and Leith

McCann, Mr Michael LAB East Kilbride.Strathaven and Lesmahagow

Morrice, Graeme LAB Livingston

Nash, Pamela LAB Airdrie and Shotts

Osborne, Sandra LAB Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

Reid, Mr Alan LD Argyll and Bute

Roy, Lindsay LAB Glenrothes

Sheridan, Jim LAB Paisley and Renfrewshire North

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/chan51.pdf

Belinda said...

Thanks for this Eddie: very interesting.

I am sure that the 'other side' don't have many scruples about lobbying Scottish, Irish or Welsh representatives to Westminster and it remains an issue that there's nothing about it in the Scottish mainstream press, giving special interest groups another advantage over the voting public in Scotland.