I WAS delighted to be invited to the Basingstoke Nepalese Community Winter Party on Saturday evening.

This annual event is a lively celebration of modern and traditional culture from Basingstoke’s local Nepalese community. In a poignant minute of silence we all remembered those people killed in the recent devastating Nepalese earthquake. Sharing culture is a way to enable different communities to come together, and build mutual respect and understanding.

PARLIAMENT and democracy are part of the foundations of our country. This week our Westminster parliament is tackling the contentious issue of English votes for English laws.

We need to tackle an inequity that has grown up following devolution where laws that only relate to England can be voted on by MPs from every nation in the United Kingdom yet English MPs cannot vote on the same matters devolved to the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish government institutions.

English votes for English Laws is an attempt to redress the balance and give English MPs the final say on issues that relate only to England. I fully support the need to change.