Devolution review 'may lead to loss of Holyrood powers'

Published on Sunday 17 February 2008 20:54

GORDON Brown yesterday backed a review of Scottish devolution – but suggested it could mean the return of some powers to Westminster.

The Prime Minister gave his public support for the first time to the Scottish Constitutional Commission, the body which will be set up to look into Scottish Parliament's powers.

Mr Brown accepted there might be a case for some financial controls, including new tax-raising powers, to be handed over to Holyrood from Westminster.

But he also said the review would examine whether Holyrood should lose control in some areas, particularly over terrorism or agricultural diseases, to Westminster.

Wendy Alexander, the Scottish Labour leader who initiated the commission, welcomed Mr Brown's backing, saying a "cross-Border, cross-party approach" was the best way to take the issue forward.

She added: "Our objective is a blueprint for a more accountable, more confident, more successful Scotland. I am clear this is the best way forward and the Prime Minister's backing is very welcome."

However, Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy First Minister, said:

"This is about Gordon Brown getting control of this process. Wendy Alexander's Scottish commission has become a Westminster review and already we have talk of powers going back to Westminster."

The debate over the Scottish Constitutional Commission has been raging for the last few weeks, since Ms Alexander went to London to seek the help of the UK parties to get the commission going.

Although Ms Alexander secured the support of the Tories and the Liberal Democrats for the commission, some of her Labour colleagues in London were more critical. David Cairns, the Scotland Office minister, described the issue of more powers as one of interest only to the "McChattering classes".

The Prime Minister intervened yesterday to give Ms Alexander his full support, both over her recent problems linked to donations and to her idea of the commission.

Speaking on BBC Scotland's Politics Show, Mr Brown said: "

There is an issue about the financial responsibility of an executive or an administration that has 30 billion to spend but doesn't have any responsibility for raising any pounds of that."

Asked about the possibility of more tax powers for Holyrood emerging from the review, Mr Brown said: "This is what any review should look at. Nobody should prejudge it.

"There is a case for saying that in any other devolved administration in the world, there is usually a financial responsibility that requires not only the spending of money by the administration, but also its responsibility to take seriously how it raises money."

However, the Prime Minister said that a decade on from devolution, experience had shown some powers may need to return to Westminster, specifically when tackling UK-wide issues.

He added: "

I think on terrorism and security, there are some issues that have been raised by recent events."