West Lothian questionn.
/ˌwɛst ˈləʊðɪən kwɛstʃ(ə)n/, U.S. /ˌwɛst ˈloʊðiən ˌkwɛstʃ(ə)n/, /ˌwɛst ˈloʊðiən ˌkwɛʃtʃ(ə)n/ British Politics.
The British constitutional anomaly that, following devolution, Westminster MPs for Scottish and Welsh constituencies are unable to vote on Scottish or Welsh matters devolved, respectively, to the parliament and assembly of those countries, but are able to vote on equivalent matters concerning England, whilst MPs for English constituencies have no reciprocal influence on Scottish or Welsh matters; the problem or parliamentary question (see quot. 19771) relating to this anomaly.
ΚΠ
1977 T. Dalyell in Hansard Commons 3 Nov. 31 Under the new Bill, shall I still be able to vote on many matters in relation to West Bromwich but not West Lothian, as I was under the last Bill, and will my right hon. Friend [sc. James Callaghan, MP for Cardiff] be able to vote on many matters in relation to Carlisle but not Cardiff?]
1977 J. E. Powell in Hansard Commons 14 Nov. 91 Let us by all means devolve, and devolve to democratic assemblies, the administration of the laws which are made in this House and of the policies which are framed in this House... But if we go beyond that, there arises again the West Lothian question.
1978 Times 18 May 2/5 An attempt to deal with what has become known as the ‘West Lothian’ question, named after the constituency of the Labour MP Mr Tam Dalyell.
1979 M. Keating & D. Bleiman Labour & Sc. Nationalism vi. 192 The West Lothian question can become an argument in favour of English devolution.
2002 Daily Mail (Nexis) 18 June 13 It would be fanciful to suppose that many of those waving or displaying the flag of St George are privately cut up about Scottish MPs' voting rights or the Government's failure to address the West Lothian question.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1977