No alternative

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 21:39

What a ridiculous piece of fiction Wendy Alexander has produced with her "There is no alternative: Calman is only way to go" (Opinion, 25 November).

The only factual aspect of her narrative is that Calman is not a perfect blueprint.

Had Labour won the May 2007 Holyrood election, there would have been no hint of a commission to examine any improvements to devolution.

Ms Alexander mentions the Calman proposal for a revised Barnett formula based on needs. Given Labour's part in wrecking the economy, the question of extra money required by the public sector in any region of the UK will not come into it – the measurement of "needs" can only involve an assessment of which area can afford the largest cut in spending.

The fact is that no Scottish government, of whatever party, can hope to influence the path of the economy without having full, integrated, taxation powers, meaning fiscal autonomy, and that is an alternative to Calman.

DOUGLAS R MAYER

Thomson Crescent,

Currie, Midlothian