Conservative party plans to bar MPs from constituencies outside of England from voting on English matters in Parliament could damage the United Kingdom, a senior Democratic Unionist MP in Northern Ireland claimed yesterday.

Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson claimed the proposal from a Tory party taskforce led by Ken Clarke would be a retrograde step, creating a lower class of MP.

"It could undermine the strength of the Union itself," Mr Donaldson said.

"I think the UK as a whole will benefit and continues to benefit from all MPs having a say on the matters that Parliament has sovereignty on."

Last week ex-Tory Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind expressed unease at the proposal. ..SUPL: