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Hunting vote delayed after SNP U-turn | Hunting vote delayed after SNP U-turn |
(35 minutes later) | |
A vote on relaxing the Hunting Act planned for Wednesday has been postponed after the SNP said it would oppose the changes. | |
New restrictions on Scottish MPs' voting rights on non-Scottish issues could now be introduced first. | |
The Hunting Act changes apply to England and Wales only - something the SNP had said it would not vote on. | |
Nicola Sturgeon's change of heart meant David Cameron's hunting law plan would not get through the Commons. | |
A Downing Street source said: "This happened because Nicola Sturgeon has done a 180-degree U-turn. | |
"Her actions speak for themselves. That's why we are in the position we are in." | |
But Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader suggested the prime minister's slender majority was behind the move. | |
Earlier she had explained her party's decision to take part in the vote, saying there had been "overwhelming demand" from people in England. | |
Another reason, she said, was because David Cameron was making Scottish MPs "second-class citizens" in the House of Commons. | |
The government plans to change Commons rules to allow English, or English and Welsh, MPs a "decisive say" on legislation only applying there. | The government plans to change Commons rules to allow English, or English and Welsh, MPs a "decisive say" on legislation only applying there. |
The government's decision to reschedule the vote came as anti-hunting protesters gathered at the Houses of Parliament to protest against changing the law. | |
The changes would have brought the Hunting Act in line with Scotland, where an unlimited number of dogs can be used to "flush out" a fox to be shot, compared to just two in England and Wales. | |
But the 56 SNP MPs, plus Labour and some Conservative MPs opposed to hunting, meant the government's change stood little chance of being approved in Wednesday's free vote. | |
The SNP says it will now consider tightening the law in Scotland to match England and Wales. | |
Maria Eagle, Labour's shadow environment secretary, said: "David Cameron is now running scared because he knew he was going to lose the vote on fox-hunting." |