NEWSNIGHT SCOTLAND REPORTER:
“Will it, do you think, blow the SNP out of the water as Robert Brown” (LibDEM MSP) “ has suggested?”
PROF. JOHN CURTICE:
“No - the truth is – that bill that is published tomorrow – is in fact the true legacy of the Nationalist victory in 2007. The nationalists haven’t been able to get that referendum bill through, but their victory in 2007 forced the Labour Party in particular to re-think its attitude towards devolution, to work together with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to produce this proposal that the Coalition is now putting forward. So, the SNP will undoubtedly put out a lot of criticism about this, but the truth is, they are probably principally responsible for this proposal at least getting as far as the statute book.”
Robert Brown, normally a nice, reasonable man (weren’t all the LibDems once!), was clearly rattled by this analysis and by the SNP’s spokesman, Alisdair Allan, MSP’s perfectly reasonable comment. After acknowledging that the proposals were designed to strengthen the UK, he dismissed Alisdair Allan’s wish for fiscal autonomy as “parrot talk”.
There is parrot talk here, Robert Brown, but from you, not Alisdair Allan – Unionist parrot talk from a member of a party that is currently betraying every promise it made to the electorate, and betraying Scotland in the process.
The Tories were opposed to Scotland's independence - Labour was equivocal, and only agreed to it to protect their Scottish power base - the LibDems are federalists - they regard Scotland, not as a nation, but as a region of the UK.
Only the SNP have always been fully committed to a Scottish Parliament and to full fiscal autonomy - and independence.
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Robert Brown comments remind me of a former SOS of Scotland who said ' devolution will kill Nationalism (ie.SNP) stone dead.'
ReplyDeleteThe flawed Calman proposals will be seen as that- flawed and need to be improved on. Tam Dayell was correct - we are on a motorway with no exits. It may get blocked from time to time but the journey will continue.
Indeed - a process, not an event. A process leading inevitably to independence.
ReplyDeletePeter As flawed as Calman is, it is yet another step forward.
ReplyDeleteHolyrood is now recognized as a parliament, a small point but still a step forward.
The fact that Holyrood needs to raise its own revenue has also been acknowledged, once Calman proves unworkable what happens next? We cannot go back, the three partys that pushed this no matter the flaws, will have to accept further powers to Holyrood to make it workable.
I am also puzzled by where Labour go from here. If they are elected in May 2011, they are virtually powerless when, not if, Westminster reduces Scotlands pocket money further. How can they complain, they voted for Calman light and they will have to accept the consequences. They have accepted the principle that Westminster has virtually total control of Scotlands budget.
Thanks, Dubbieside.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely.
regards,
Peter