Ed Miliband Is In A 'Real Pickle’ Over English Votes For English Laws. That’s According To His Own MPs.

The Labour leader won't say if he supports English votes for English laws

After Scotland voted to stay in the United Kingdom, David Cameron called for a 'cross-party approach' to give greater devolution to England and solve the problem of English votes for English laws.

Ed Miliband refused. He just wasn't up to the task.

That's not good enough, and even his own supporters know it.

1 Lord Glasman

Via huffingtonpost.co.uk

Ed Miliband's favourite thinker said:

'We have got ourselves into a real pickle. It looks like there has been a panic at the back-end of the Scottish referendum which has been very disruptive.

'There has to be a very strong vision of renewal in England and we have lost touch with those traditions in England. The question is whether the party can embody it.

'People aren't quite sure we're on their side. They don't know whether we get it or not.'

2 Harriet Harman

Ed Miliband’s deputy leader said:

‘We do have to recognise there’s an anomaly and look at different ways we can address that.’

Interview on LBC, 22 September 2014

3 Ben Bradshaw MP

Via westernmorningnews.co.uk

Ben Bradshaw MP, a former Cabinet colleague of Ed Miliband said:

‘Our leadership has to be much clearer that there’s a problem that needs addressing…I haven’t heard clearly or loudly enough from the leadership that there is a problem.’

4 Kate Hoey MP

Via thesun.co.uk

Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, said:

‘What right has a Scottish constituency’s MP to vote on laws that only apply to England? … Ed Miliband should stand up for the English voter.’

5 Simon Danczuk MP

Via Twitter: @ChrisMasonBBC

‘We should have struck while the iron was hot. I cannot understand why...we did not have a decent offer to put out there. Why we couldn't have had a good offer ready...just beggar's belief in my opinion. If he doesn't address it tomorrow then he's got a real problem...then we are really on the back foot.’

6 Graham Allen MP

Graham Allen, Ed Miliband’s MP in Nottingham North, said:

‘I think we should keep the promise [to Scotland] but also the rest of the whole arrangements around England, Wales and Northern Ireland need to go lockstep - not on Ed Miliband's timetable of at least two years.’

BBC Radio 4 PM, 20 September 2014

7 John Denham MP

Via thesundaytimes.co.uk

One of Ed Miliband’s only MPs in the South-East of England said:

‘I think there is no doubt that as the powers of the Scottish parliament increase, there will be a redrawn role of Scottish MPs on English legislation. It’s a reasonable aim to ensure that legislation in England has the consent of English MPs.’

8 Frank Field MP

Via dailymail.co.uk

The Labour MP for Birkenhead said:

‘Ed Miliband has got to respond in a way that the people of England see that Labour is for England and not just for defending its privileges in Scotland.’

Interview on BBC News, 19 September 2014

‘The great danger now for Labour is to be seen gazing backwards in bewilderment to a lost world where Scottish MPs enjoying unique privileges could help elect Labour governments.’

9 John Reid

The former Labour Home Secretary said:

‘It is unfair that three of the nations can decide on exclusively their own basis on legislation applying only to them but the biggest nation can’t. So it has to be addressed.’

Interview on Today, 19 September 2014

10 Diane Abbott MP

The former Labour front bencher said:

‘My view, and that it is a personal view is that it is not intellectually coherent if the further devolution to Holyrood is going to mean anything to continue to have Scottish MPs voting on matters, reserved matters. I’m not sure what the party’s policy is to be quite honest…. Labour MPs are trying to unite behind Ed Miliband, particularly when we find out what our precise policies are.’

Interview on Daily Politics, 19 September 2014