Cameron concedes Tories were wrong to oppose devolution

Published on Saturday 27 June 2009 01:32

CONSERVATIVES were wrong to oppose devolution, party leader David Cameron conceded today, adding the party in power should have paid more heed to the calls from Scotland.

Meanwhile, Tony Blair said he acted on calls for devolution, but was "probably pretty unionist" by temperament.

Both were speaking in a BBC Scotland programme to be screened tomorrow marking the tenth anniversary of devolution.

Of his party's previous long-standing opposition to devolution Mr Cameron said: "I don't think we got it right. You can argue that the principled position, of arguing that devolution within a unitary state is extremely difficult and there are all sorts of problems it brings, and those problems are there.

"But I think where we went wrong was we should have spent more time in government thinking, how do we give legitimate help to those people within our United Kingdom who want to have a greater expression of self-government?"

Meanwhile, Mr Blair said he could recognise that the feeling of being Scottish as well as British had to be recognised.

"I'm by temperament probably pretty unionist," he told the programme, Holyrood and the Search for Scotland's Soul, to be broadcast at 10:20pm.

"On the other hand, I could see, and studying the history reinforced this feeling, that there was a genuine desire on the part of people to have more say over the things that were happening around them."

Former Labour first minister Henry McLeish told the programme that Mr Blair did not embrace the spirit of devolution, but he was a "pragmatist" who ensured the completion of unfinished business.

But the current SNP First Minister, Alex Salmond, said that Labour's drive to deliver devolution was motivated by fear.

"That was fear by the Labour Party of the SNP," said Mr Salmond. "The feeling that things had got to such an extent that, unless this was delivered, proposed, endorsed by the people, then the result would be that Labour would lose control over its heartlands and fiefdoms."

Gordon Brown told the programme that devolution was a response to a gradual centralisation of government.

"There is a strong Scottish identity, but I think that what's happened is that over a hundred years, government became concentrated," the Prime Minister said.