Most support English votes for English laws with Conservatives most enthusiastic

Two months into his new government David Cameron has put the English question at the top of his agenda and Ipsos’s latest Political Monitor finds an appetite amongst the public to change the way MPs from England and Scotland vote in the House of Commons. The poll asked each half of the sample whether they supported a version of English votes for English laws:

• Some people think that Scottish MPs should not be allowed to vote in the House of Commons on issues that have no direct impact on people in Scotland. To what extent would you support or oppose such a change?
• The Government has proposed that English MPs should be allowed a veto in the House of Commons on issues that only have an impact on people in England. To what extent would you support or oppose such a change?

In each case a majority supported the proposal, particularly when phrased as the English veto option.

The survey shows that an overall majority (52%) support Scottish MPs being disallowed a vote on issues that have no direct impact on Scotland compared to three in 10 (30%) who oppose the idea. When asked if English MPs should be allowed a veto, the figures for support increases slightly; six in 10 (59%) support the idea while a quarter (25%) oppose it.

 

Conservative supporters overwhelmingly back English votes for English laws when compared to Labour supporters. Three in four (73%) Tory supporters back preventing Scottish MPs from voting on non-Scottish issues (58% strongly support) while one in five (20%) oppose it. This compares to four in ten (41%) Labour supporters who support the idea with 36% opposing it. When considering the Government’s English veto plan three in four (76%) of Conservative voters agree with the proposal (52% strongly support it) while just 16% oppose it. This compares to less than half (48%) of Labour voters supporting an English veto (24% strongly support it) with 35% opposing it.

Despite small base sizes due to the split sample there is a statistically significant difference between England and Scotland when considering support for the English veto proposal. Six in 10 (61%) support the plan in England while 38% support it in Scotland. When it comes to preventing Scottish MPs from voting on non-Scottish issues however there is no statistically significant difference between the countries.

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos, said:

“The election and its aftermath put the West Lothian question back in the spotlight, and in England at least there is clear support for an English veto on English laws. It is overwhelmingly popular among David Cameron’s own Conservative supporters, but even Labour supporters are on balance in favour of the idea.”

• Download the survey topline (PDF)
• Download the computer tables (PDF)
• Download the charts (PDF)

Technical note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,026 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone 18-20 July 2015. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. Each question was asked of a separate sample of just over 500.