tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post3743158059928404805..comments2023-05-01T16:14:04.382+01:00Comments on Scots and Independent: Calman, Have A Go If You Think You’re Hard EnoughRichard Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380671811598211337noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35490153.post-64910697124429800762008-07-05T14:41:00.000+01:002008-07-05T14:41:00.000+01:00The position of the three parties in involved in t...The position of the three parties in involved in the Calman Commission can be summarised easily.<BR/><BR/>1. Labour wanted devolution because they saw it as a way to keep Scotland as a Labour stronghold/gravy train forever and as a way to stop the rise of the SNP.<BR/><BR/>2. The Conservatives didn't want it at all.<BR/><BR/>3. The Lib-Dems saw it as a way to force Labour into coalitions in Scotland as a minority party in a hung parliament created by PR.<BR/><BR/>The problem for all three has been the rise of the SNP which devolution failed to stop. It's knocked Labour of its perch which has also upset the "permanent coalition" plans of the Lib-Dems.<BR/><BR/>What people forget is that devolution was never about giving any real power to the assemblies and parliaments which it created. It was to chop the country, (the UK), into provinces which were to be nothing more than regional local government. Scotland, Wales, NI and about ten English regions. The idea that devolution is based on the nations within the UK is strong, especially with the English devolutionists who call for an English parliament, but totally wrong.<BR/><BR/>The Scottish Parliament has its effective powers not from devolution but from the separate legal, education and government systems grouped under the old Scottish Office which pre-dated devolution. Where these powers were not already in place devolution did not create them as in Wales which got an assembly with no law making powers. Many commenters especially in England seem to think that Scotland's separate systems came with devolution.<BR/><BR/>So what is the conclusion?<BR/>Devolution was never about creating a structure in the UK where Scotland, Wales and NI became semi-autonomous in law, government and taxation. It was about creating regional local government which was very much subordinate to Westminster. <BR/><BR/>The Calman commission in thinking about extra powers for Scotland is going against the philosophy of devolution which is all about retaining power at the centre and is also against the natural unionist instincts of the parties involved. <BR/><BR/>It's true function was always to create a third, "spoiler", option on the independence referendum question, not to advance Scottish autonomy but Ms. Alexander even managed to wreck that one with her calls for a two question referendum. Unless the Calman Commision can come up with solid, costed and agreed proposals before the 2010 referendum it will be nothing more than a footnote in history, especially as any third option in a referendum will have to be accepted by the new Conservative government which will be in Westminster at that time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com