Tory English Votes Plan To Include Income Tax

David Cameron has pledged changes to ensure English MPs have the final say on income tax rates in England.

The Prime Minister set out a timetable for introducing Tory plans for English votes for English laws within a year of the election.

He promised the measure would be extended to financial matters, with the handover of tax-raising powers to Scotland.

Mr Cameron has argued it is "simply unfair" English MPs would be unable to vote on the income tax paid by people in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, while Scottish MPs would be able to vote on the tax paid by residents in Birmingham, Canterbury or Leeds.

And he dismissed claims that the plan risked undermining the UK, insisting "we are the Conservative and Unionist Party through and through".

But former prime minister Gordon Brown has accused the Tories of "whipping up anti-Scottish feeling" and becoming "the party of English nationalism".

This was echoed by Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, who said: "I think the way David Cameron has conducted this election campaign is utterly disgraceful.

"Trying to stoke up tensions between Scotland and England, playing with fire, threatening the integrity of the United Kingdom by talking up the Scottish nationalists."

And SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon also criticised Mr Cameron over what she called a "direct breach" of the post-referendum promise of more powers for Scotland.

She said: "The problem is there's a lot of issues characterised as English-only issues that are anything but - matters relating to the English health service for example. Decisions taken on that have a direct impact on Scotland's budget.

"I would vote against anything that prevented Scottish MPs standing up for Scotland's interests."

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Once taxes have been devolved to Scotland, under Conservative plans, MPs from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland would need to give the go-ahead to the level of rates across the rest of the UK.

The details are outlined in the Conservatives' first English manifesto , which promises to bring forward proposals within 100 days of the election.

It would mean changes to rules at Westminster to give a veto over England-only issues to English MPs by the time of the 2016 Budget.

Where measures also apply to Wales or Northern Ireland, as with income tax, MPs from those nations will also be involved.

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Launching the English manifesto, Mr Cameron said: "We do not support English nationalists, we do not want an English Parliament, we are the Conservative and Unionist Party through and through.

"This manifesto simply recognises that the democratic picture has got more complicated in the UK, so beyond our main manifesto, English voters deserve one document, clarifying in black and white what they can expect.

"Soon, the Scottish Parliament will be voting to set its own levels of income tax - and rightly so - but that has clear implications.

"English MPs will be unable to vote on the income tax paid by people in Aberdeen and Edinburgh while Scottish MPs are able to vote on the tax you pay in Birmingham, or Canterbury, or Leeds.

"It is simply unfair. And with English votes for English laws we will put it right."

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Under the Tory plans, the detailed scrutiny of new bills would only be carried out by MPs from the nations affected by the legislation.

A new grand committee of all English MPs, including Welsh MPs where appropriate, would also have to agree any legislation relating only to England.

Mr Cameron will promise firm proposals within 100 days of forming a government, which would be "fully implemented" by the time of the Budget in March of the following year.