Just when you all thought we'd finished talking about devolution and/or independence .....
So, Scotland stays in the UK but now, Westminster has to pony up with it's bribe of "extra powers".
And thus, the "West Lothian" becomes even more important.
The more powers are devolved to the Scotish government, the more iniquitous it becomes that Scottish MPs can vote on matters that affect English constituents, but not their own constituents. For example, income tax rates.
Suppose, for example, income tax is fully devolved. And then, we get a Labour government with a Scottish MP as Chancellor at Westminster. He can then raise income tax rates which affects English (and if it's not devolved, Welsh and NI constituents, but not his own.
Or, a Scottish Health Minister, or Education minister, or whatever, making decisions on those issues despite it not affecting their constituents.
And, if course, the potential for a Labour government only being able to get laws through that affect England by virtue of Scottish MPs when there is not a mandate among English MPs, and when those laws don't affect those Scottish MPs constituents.
There is no democracy in having laws made for us by people they don't affect and that aren't bound by them.
There is now a need, and an increasingly urgent need, for a solution to the WestLothian question, and I can't see a way of doing it without a major constitutional change in the UK.
What we need, IMHO, is a solution where either matters are devolved in all regions, or none. And thus, the benchmark will be Scotland, which sets the high water mark for devolved powers.
Treat the regions equally, the constituents of the regions with equal responsibilities and rights, and ONLY MPs (of whatever legislature) whose constituents are affected by an issue able to vote on it.
That is, some sort of federal arrangement.