Peter Smith is quite correct that the whole business of English votes for English people is a red herring, but I feel it also has something of the school yard about it ( It’s not fair, nah nah ne nah nah).

He is wrong, however, to say it is irrelevant, as excluding everyone except English MPs from voting on matters English would have serious constitutional consequences.

A prime minister, of whatever party, with a majority in the UK but not in England would not be able to enact any legislation, would not be able to set a budget for England, effectively making England ungoverned and ungovernable.

I understand the Tories want to rush this through as they think this will be to their advantage at the next election, but I don’t care if the Tories or Labour win the next general election as I quite frankly see no difference between them.

England needs governance and tricky constitutional matters like this need careful consideration and a referendum at the end of it.

There is no appetite for an English assembly or English regional assemblies, as demonstrated by the rejection of John Prescott’s attempt to set one up.

I have shown English only votes in the Commons is a constitutional quagmire, but what of the Lords – if we were to try to divide the Lords, English lords from Scottish, Irish and Welsh lords we would enter a puzzle of such complexity that the Gordian knot would look like Alexander the Great’s granny.

For instance, if Robert Buckland is to lose his seat in next May’s election and he is ennobled, would he be an English lord as his constituency had been in Swindon in England, a Welsh Lord as he is a Welsh person or if he became Lord Buckland of Aberdeen, a Scottish Lord?

We have got ourselves into such a mess that we need a constitutional assembly elected by proportional representation and free from whipping by the political parties. It should consider the whole constitution and it decisions be ratified by a referendum, so that self seeking politicians cannot alter it.

Steve Thompson Norman Road Swindon