The Herald reports that Alex Salmond may well get his wish for a revival of joint ministerial committees between Westminster and the devolved administrations:
One significant sign that Westminster may be
adapting to change came yesterday from David Miliband, the Environment
and Rural Affairs Secretary, hosting a meeting with representatives of
the devolved administrations.His Downing Street colleagues may have been reluctant to acknowledge
the election of SNP ministers, but he has to work with such political
opponents on the European agricultural and fisheries council and on
cross-border environmental policy, including the Marine Bill.It has not been lost on the Labour minister who was closest to
challenging Gordon Brown for the leadership that there is radical
change afoot in governing Britain and he can position himself at its
cutting edge. (The Herald)
Any solution to the West Lothian Question is bound to undermine the power of Gordon Brown and other Scottish MPs. The same is not necessarily true for English Labour MPs.
It’s also an issue the next Labour leader but one may have to face up to. Sticking rigidly to the status quo leaves the party dangerously exposed to a pincer movement from the Tories in England and the SNP in Scotland.
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