Purely on the basis of demographics, the closure of the Kentish coalfields obviously affected more people that that of the Lanarkshire coalfields.
On the subject of English MPs running the Scottish Office. This raises my hackles for another reason, and it is this. Nobody should be allowed to stand for election in an constituency in which they are not domiciled, and have been so for at least 5 years. The parachuting in of candidates from all parts of the UK to stand in so called safe seats is an insult to the voters of that constituency.
Tam Dalyell [Sp?] was no doubt educated at an an English public school, and my guess is not a minor one. This would account for his accent, in the same way as his antecedents might do for his arrogance.
The reason you may think that Tony Blair is English is because he seems to go out of his way to hide it, in both word and deed.

< a href=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0771105.html> Tony Blair


John