Clarke says Tories will push for more power for Holyrood

Published on Saturday 28 November 2009 10:02

FORMER Tory Chancellor Ken Clarke says a UK Conservative government would bring forward its own proposals on more powers for Holyrood "as quickly as possible".

The shadow business secretary said the Calman commission's scheme, which includes substantial tax powers for the Scottish Parliament, was "a very sensible approach".

He admitted, however, that a Tory government would have "difficulties" with Scotland if the party still had only one Scottish MP after the general election.

Mr Clarke told a business breakfast in Edinburgh that if the Tories were elected next year, the new chancellor, George Osborne, would have to take tough decisions.

"I've said to George 'You will be the most unpopular man in the United Kingdom within about two years and if not you will not be doing your job properly'."

When the Government published its white paper on more powers for the Scottish Parliament earlier this week, the Tories said they would not be bound by Labour's plans, despite sitting with them on the Calman commission which provided the blueprint. Other parties accused the Tories of "backsliding" on the issue.

Mr Clarke said he and his colleagues were still discussing their priorities for action if they got into power, but he said: "I would have thought we would get on with Calman pretty quickly."

He said the extension of powers as outlined by Calman was "the obvious logical next step".

He added: "The more we get devolution to work on a sensible grown-up basis, the more we will get rid of the irritating threat of total separation."

Later, Mr Clarke told the Evening News: "Calman strikes me as a very sensible approach, actually. I'm rather impressed by it. I find the financial responsibility bits very attractive.

"You don't have a full democratic political government until it is responsible for finance and expenditure and has to campaign and account for the balance between the two. We'll have to produce a white paper as quickly as possible.

"Without tying ourselves to every detail, my initial reaction is this is a very sensible way of revisiting devolution in order to improve a few rough edges and get it to work better."

He said Calman's proposal to hand Holyrood responsibility for 10p of every tax band sounded "a good way" forward.

"It means it is in the hands of the Scottish Parliament whether it taxes more or taxes less."

Despite their UK poll lead, the Tories are still forecast to win only a handful of seats in Scotland. Mr Clarke acknowledged the importance of a good showing north of the Border. He added: "We need Scottish MPs in order to get a good working majority, which I think is essential.

"It leaves less room for the SNP to exploit any unpopularity of Westminster if there is a decent number of Scottish Tories there. Plainly there are difficulties if we get into power with only one MP."

The party is likely to press ahead with a scheme, drawn up by Mr Clarke, to bar Scottish MPs from voting on English laws at certain stages in the Commons.

Mr Clarke said David Cameron was "highly sympathetic" to the scheme. "I wait and see whether it makes it to the manifesto as a definite policy.