General Election 2015: 'English votes for English laws' enacted within a year, Conservatives promise

If his party wins power on May 7, it would legislate within 100 days to give English MPs a veto over issues which only apply to their constituents

A Conservative government would legislate within 100 days to give English MPs a veto over issues which only apply to their constituents (Getty Images)

A Conservative government would introduce a system of “English votes for English laws” within a year of winning the general election, David Cameron will promise.

If his party wins power on May 7, it would legislate within 100 days to give English MPs a veto over issues which only apply to their constituents, with a view to it coming into force by March 2016.

The move would effectively hand them the power to fix an English rate of income tax.

The plans will be seen as an attempt to combat Ukip’s success in exploiting the rising sense of English nationalism, but critics will argue the moves threaten to undermine further the ties within the United Kingdom.

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The proposals are contained in the Tories’ first “English manifesto” which will be launched by the Prime Minister.

He will say: “We do not support English nationalists, we do not want an English Parliament – we are the Conservative and Unionist Party through and through. This manifesto simply recognises that the democratic picture has got more complicated in the UK.”

The Scottish Parliament will shortly be voting to set its own levels of income tax, which Mr Cameron will argue has implications south of the border.

“English MPs will be unable to vote on the income tax paid by people in Aberdeen and Edinburgh while Scottish MPs are able to vote on the tax you pay in Birmingham or Canterbury or Leeds,” the Prime Minister will say. “It is simply unfair and with English votes for English laws we will put it right.”

As income tax is not devolved to Wales or Northern Ireland, their MPs would continue to be able to vote on the rate.

Under Tory plans, no legislation relating only to England could become law without winning the backing of English-only laws.