Finding the Good in EVEL: An Evaluation of ‘English Votes for English Laws’ in the House of Commons

Abstract

In October 2015 the House of Commons approved an important set of procedural changes, designed by the government, known as ‘English Votes for English Laws’. This new system has proved contentious in both political and constitutional terms, provoking claims that it has fundamentally altered the terms of representation at Westminster. But what should be made of this and other criticisms? This report results from a major academic investigation into EVEL. It includes detailed analysis of how the new procedures worked in practice during their first 12 months in operation, and discusses their wider constitutional implications. Based on this analysis, the report makes a series of constructive proposals for how EVEL could be improved.