The deputy leader of the Scots Tories has kicked up a storm by writing that a federal UK now appears to be on the horizon.

Murdo Fraser's article on the UK website ConservativeHome prompted a flood of online responses, many extremely hostile from an English perspective but by no means all.

"A Conservative Party committed to the principle of localism must be a champion of devolution, and set itself the task of sorting out the mess that Labour have created. But putting the pieces together in any coherent package, and simultaneously providing fairness to England whilst heading off nationalist trends on the Celtic fringe, will be no easy task," said Mr Fraser.

He said it was not for him as a Scot to say whether there should be a wholly separate English parliament, but he detected little enthusiasm for that. "I suspect that most English voters would be happy with Westminster continuing to act as both a UK legislature and as a de facto English parliament, in the latter case with the exclusion of the Scottish, Northern Irish and (if appropriate) Welsh MPs, if a way could be found to make this work. The financial arrangements require to be looked at too."

But he added: "Perhaps the end point of this process will be a federal, or quasi-federal, United Kingdom, with each component nation having greater self-government than is currently the case, including increased responsibility for raising revenues."