'MSPs distracted from real work by grand constitutional debates'

Published on Wednesday 14 July 2010 16:44

TINKERING with the constitution has distracted Scotland's politicians from reforming schools and hospitals and creating a wealthier country, according to a new report by a Conservative-linked think-tank.

• Picture: TSPL

A "conspiracy of inaction" has developed since devolution, according to the paper, where Scottish politicians have ignored tough decisions of their own and instead obsessed about their relationship with London.

It calls for ministers and MSPs to adopt the Calman Commission plans on more powers and then call a "generational truce" on the constitution, so that social and economic issues can be dealt with.

The report, entitled The Devolution Distraction and published by the Policy Exchange think-tank, was written by Tom Miers, a former Conservative party candidate. However, Mr Miers says the Labour, LibDem and SNP parties that have run Scotland since devolution are themselves "deeply conservative" in the way they have opposed reform.

Publishing the paper yesterday, Mr Miers said: "Endless constitutional debate draws political energy away from dealing with the real problems that afflict Scotland.

"The Scottish Parliament already possesses the powers to pursue a radical agenda of reform in most areas, including the fiscal arena. It may be more interesting to discuss grand constitutional issues rather than supply-side economic and social reforms. But the reality is that until the political means of improving Scotland's lot have been fully explored, there is little need for constitutional reform."

Mr Miers points out that the Scottish Government already controls 61 per cent of government spending, or 29 per cent of GDP within the country.

He also notes that, within the devolution settlement, Scottish ministers have complete freedom to reform the health and education services as they see fit, along with powerful tools to affect economic growth, and they control higher and further education, the planning system, transport and infrastructure finance.

On policing and criminal justice, the Scottish Government is essentially sovereign.

"But no meaningful reforms have been undertaken in any of these areas," he claims.

A spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Scotland is demonstrably a far better nation, economy and society with a parliament compared to the days of remote control from London."

Pointing to improvements in school class sizes and hospital waiting times, he added: "All political parties agree that the Scottish Parliament can achieve more on behalf of the people with more responsibilities.

"Scotland needs the powers of financial responsibility so that we can boost growth in the Scottish economy - generating higher tax receipts to invest in the public services we all value - as the only alternative to the entirely dismal prospects from Westminster."

The Scottish Conservatives said more powers were required at Holyrood precisely so that the reforms called for by Mr Miers could be implemented.

Finance spokesman Derek Brownlee said: "It is the design of the current devolution settlement, and in particular the lack of financial accountability, which has made it possible for successive Scottish Governments to delay reform. More financial powers … are a necessary part of changing the political culture in Scotland.

"It will be much more difficult for other parties to demand more and more spending if they also have to argue for the higher taxes needed to fund it."

Liberal Democrat Finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: "Policy Exchange have missed the point. Granting more powers to the Scottish Parliament would make it more accountable, as it would have to raise its own funds through taxation.".