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Scots won't have to pay £10-a-day road tolls

By JONATHAN OLIVER, Mail on Sunday
Last updated at 21:16pm on 25th November 2006

Motorists in England are facing punitive congestion charges of up to £10 a day but north of the border it's a different story.

Scotland will be exempt from Labour's new laws to be introduced in cities throughout England, a move which has infuriated English MPs.

One Labour backbencher is even planning his own law to impose a £1.50 charge on Scots who cross the border. The Government Bill backed by Transport Minister Douglas Alexander - who is also Secretary of State for Scotland - is to be published in the New Year.

It will lead to a string of schemes modelled on London's £8 congestion charge but in cities where public transport is far less well developed.

The move comes amid growing debate about the so-called West Lothian Question, the constitutional quirk which means Scottish MPs can vote on English laws while the English have only a limited say on what happens north of the border.

Veteran backbencher Andrew MacKinlay said that he was fed up with Scottish Ministers imposing levies on Middle England which their own constituents did not pay.

The MP for Thurrock, Essex, said he was serious about introducing his Road Pricing (Entry into England from Scotland) Bill.

Mr MacKinlay said: 'I am not anti-Scot. I did not deliberately set out to highlight the contradictions of the West Lothian Question. But a Bill like this is the only way I can hit back on behalf of my constituents.'

The Conservatives said they would not support Mr MacKinlay but, with an increase on the M25 Dartford crossing, they were suspicious of 'stealth charging'.

Tory Transport spokesman Chris Grayling said: 'If Labour is planning wider tolls, then it should be upfront about it.'

A spokesman for Mr Alexander said: 'The UK Government was elected by the people of the UK to govern the UK. That is what Ministers are doing and will continue to do.'