Campbell tipped for power watch role

Published on Saturday 16 February 2008 18:58

SIR Menzies Campbell is being touted as the head of the cross-party commission to examine giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

The former Liberal Democrat leader is being backed by senior Labour and Liberal figures, who believe someone of his standing is needed to pilot the body through rough political waters.

Leaders from the three parties involved in the selection process – Labour, the Liberals and the Conservatives – will meet within the next two weeks to decide on who would be best to run the commission.

A plan to appoint a former High Court judge has been all but ruled out as party leaders prefer the idea of someone with political experience. A Labour figure close to the decision said last night: "We need to have someone who is credible. Ming Campbell has that."

Another Labour source said: "We don't want somebody who could be construed as a Labour placeman."

A Lib Dem source added: "We are talking of someone of his type of standing. The commission will require that if it is going to work."

Campbell is a long-term backer of the Scottish Parliament and has supported his party's call for Holyrood to be given extensive extra powers over tax.

Crucially, he is also a personal friend of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and will therefore be seen as someone who can bridge the political divide between the parties.

However, Campbell's name has emerged amid claims that the body may be stillborn amid opposition from Labour MPs. Last week, Scotland Office Minister David Cairns said the issue of more powers for the parliament was "a McChattering classes issue".

He also argued that there was no need for Holyrood to have more tax-raising powers.

But in an interview with Scotland on Sunday, Cairns played down suggestions that he thought there was "no case" for tax-raising powers.

He said: "I was saying that the much maligned Barnett Formula has delivered well for Scotland over many years and there's a case for it."

Pressed on whether he supported an extension to Holyrood's tax-raising powers, he said: "That's only one proposition. There will be many.

"There's no point in supporting a commission and then precluding or prejudging its findings." After a week of briefing and counter-briefing, Labour leaders declared a truce on Friday at a private meeting of MPs and MSPs.

However, senior sources still fear the commission proposed by Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander could trigger full-blown civil war within the party once its recommendations are returned.

The row over the commission comes as one of the UK's leading constitutional experts urged MPs to give Holyrood financial independence.

Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at Oxford University, said the Scottish Government must be given the power to raise its 30bn budget through a Scottish income tax in order to avert 'political disaster' and the break-up of the Union.

Campbell was unavailable for comment last night.