One year of EVEL: evaluating ‘English votes for English laws’ in the House of Commons

A major report on how the new ‘English votes for English laws’ (EVEL) procedures in the House of Commons have operated since their introduction in October 2015 was published in November 2016. The authors, Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, argue that the current version of EVEL has avoided many of the problems predicted by its critics.

However, they recommended changes to facilitate greater expression of England’s voice (as opposed to simply a veto right), to apply the ‘double veto’ principle that is central to the reform more consistently, to reduce the complexity of the system and to improve its legitimacy. The report is summarised in this blog.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The English Question http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-english-question-commons-library-standard-note/

Centre on Constitutional Change: Finding the good in EVEL: An evaluation of ‘English Votes for English Laws’ in the House of Commons, November 2016 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/news/EVEL_Report_A4_FINAL.pdf

Blog: The Constitution Unit, 13.12.16: English votes for English laws one year on: a critical evaluation https://constitution-unit.com/2016/12/13/english-votes-for-english-laws-one-year-on-a-critical-evaluation/

Blog: The Constitution Unit, 05.04.17: The government’s ‘English votes for English laws’ review: an assessment https://constitution-unit.com/2017/04/05/the-governments-english-votes-for-english-laws-review-an-assessment/

---