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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| With her cynical foxhunting vote, Sturgeon has joined the Westminster club | With her cynical foxhunting vote, Sturgeon has joined the Westminster club |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| This was not about hunting. There is only one argument for the Scottish Nationalists’ decision to force the government to back down on England’s foxhunting laws. It should hasten the day when they never do such a thing again. Fans of their leader, Nicola Sturgeon, can only be saddened to see her falling for the trap of the Westminster political club. | |
| Related: Sturgeon: SNP will keep foxhunting ban in revenge against Cameron | Related: Sturgeon: SNP will keep foxhunting ban in revenge against Cameron |
| The SNP’s reasons for dropping its normal refusal to vote on English matters are opportunistic and cynical. Sturgeon told the BBC this morning it was because an English “progressive alliance” had invited her to do so. This was despite the fact that the number of dogs being used to flush an English fox is of no conceivable relevance to the Scots, who make their own decisions on such matters. | The SNP’s reasons for dropping its normal refusal to vote on English matters are opportunistic and cynical. Sturgeon told the BBC this morning it was because an English “progressive alliance” had invited her to do so. This was despite the fact that the number of dogs being used to flush an English fox is of no conceivable relevance to the Scots, who make their own decisions on such matters. |
| Sturgeon then said the SNP would also vote because, though Scottish law is actually more lenient on the number of dogs than English law, she disagreed with Scottish law. That surely is her problem. Her party has been in power in Edinburgh for eight years, so why has she suddenly decided to make this an issue? | Sturgeon then said the SNP would also vote because, though Scottish law is actually more lenient on the number of dogs than English law, she disagreed with Scottish law. That surely is her problem. Her party has been in power in Edinburgh for eight years, so why has she suddenly decided to make this an issue? |
| The answer appears to be an even more cynical reason. She is angry over moves to formally exclude Scottish MPs from votes on English laws and wants to “send a message” to David Cameron, “to remind him just how slender is his majority.” He needs no reminding of that. The SNP has long conceded its exceptionalism by not voting on England-only laws. The row over Commons voting is a technicality. If the SNP was really true to its separatist principles it would abstain altogether, like Sinn Fein. | The answer appears to be an even more cynical reason. She is angry over moves to formally exclude Scottish MPs from votes on English laws and wants to “send a message” to David Cameron, “to remind him just how slender is his majority.” He needs no reminding of that. The SNP has long conceded its exceptionalism by not voting on England-only laws. The row over Commons voting is a technicality. If the SNP was really true to its separatist principles it would abstain altogether, like Sinn Fein. |
| Related: Relaxing the hunting ban could retoxify the Tories | Related: Relaxing the hunting ban could retoxify the Tories |
| The reality is that Sturgeon’s MPs saw they might swing a Commons vote and could not resist giving Cameron a bloody nose. She even indicated she would do it again, voting for England-only laws “on a case-by-case basis”. None of this has anything to do with the rights or wrongs of foxhunting. It is typical parliamentary game-playing, a display of the London club mentality on which Sturgeon has long poured contempt. Now, offered a brief puff on the Westminster joint, Sturgeon has inhaled. | The reality is that Sturgeon’s MPs saw they might swing a Commons vote and could not resist giving Cameron a bloody nose. She even indicated she would do it again, voting for England-only laws “on a case-by-case basis”. None of this has anything to do with the rights or wrongs of foxhunting. It is typical parliamentary game-playing, a display of the London club mentality on which Sturgeon has long poured contempt. Now, offered a brief puff on the Westminster joint, Sturgeon has inhaled. |
| The SNP has indicated a desire to play an ever closer role in British politics. The good news is that this must make more certain a regime under which it cannot. Scottish MPs should not be able to vote on devolved matters, whatever the temptation. They should again ask their citizens to vote on independence, removing them altogether from Westminster. I wonder if Sturgeon would like English MPs now to vote on that? | The SNP has indicated a desire to play an ever closer role in British politics. The good news is that this must make more certain a regime under which it cannot. Scottish MPs should not be able to vote on devolved matters, whatever the temptation. They should again ask their citizens to vote on independence, removing them altogether from Westminster. I wonder if Sturgeon would like English MPs now to vote on that? |
| • The first paragraph of this article was amended at 13:15 on 14 July 2015 to reflect the withdrawal of the vote on foxhunting by the government shortly after it went live |