IS THE government right to guillotine the Commons' debate on devolution for Scotland and Wales?
Certainly, opposition MPs are angry at the decision to limit discussion of the Bill to set up referendums - after more than 250 amendments and new clauses to it have already been tabled.
Where is the democracy in that? they ask.
The answer, surely, is that it lies in the landslide vote at the general election for Labour which promised the people of Scotland and Wales referendums on devolution and, furthermore, threw out, from those countries, the Tories who opposed them. So has not the new government a democratic duty to keep its promise and a perfect right to thwart those opposition MPs who would now hinder and delay the process with the deliberate filibustering that these amendments amount to?
This Bill, after all, is only about setting up the referendums.
The real debate on devolution, if that is what the Welsh and Scottish people vote for, can, surely, come later - as it must to the full in view of the constitutional upheaval and the many implications it would entail for the way Britain may be governed in future.
Meantime, the government is right to ride somewhat roughshod over the filibusterers' obstacles - since there was no electoral mandate for them.
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