Tavish Scott: Home rule parliament within UK is best option
IT is all over. Well it is now. That, to paraphrase the famous, or for the Tartan Army, infamous, commentary which accompanied Geoff Hurst’s third goal in the 1966 World Cup Final, is the position in Scottish politics today.
Scotland’s constitutional future, far from beginning is over too. The great majority of Scots have made up their mind. There is not much room for grey or shades of grey on Scotland, in or out of the Union. You are either with it or not. So the next two-and-a-half years are going to certainly be lengthy, insular in tone and at times partisan. And will this campaign that Mr Salmond has launched us into change many minds? I rather doubt it. Scotland will on balance wish to remain part of the UK. Where I absolutely agree with Mr Salmond is that the great majority of Scots do want more powers for the Holyrood Parliament.
Yesterday the doyen of nationalism, Margo MacDonald, made an impassioned plea to Mr Salmond to front-up the case for independence and to drop a further confusing question in the 2014 referendum. From the opposite side of the constitutional fence, she was agreeing with Scottish Secretary Michael Moore on the need for a legal, fair and decisive result. Margo is an independent MSP. But there is no doubt as to what she will campaign for. So let us hope he listens.
This week, the Nationalists did back off a second question. The 2010 Scottish Government consultation detailed a multi-option referendum. Not now. There was no such certainty or clarity. The Nationalists will consider options. A multi-option referendum can of course be put to the people – to choose the location of a new swimming pool but not to settle the future of Scotland. The Gould Report advocated separating local and national elections to avoid voter confusion. Surely if that argument works for elections it applies to deciding the future of Scotland? Mr Salmond needs to answer the question: what would happen in a multi-option referendum where independence got less votes than more powers within the UK?
Across parties, many walks of Scottish life and Scotland, the great majority want a Home Rule Parliament but within the UK. The principle that we should tax and spend and be responsible for both is right. Right too at a local level although sadly after five years of Nationalist government, local councils now have no control on what comes in, merely on how to spend £11 billion of Scottish taxpayers’ money. So that must change too.
How then do the progressive people across Scotland who want to achieve a home rule parliament get that done? A real and robust blueprint must be built so that an overwhelmingly positive case can be made that would be the settled will of the Scottish people.
A home rule parliament within the UK is what most across our country want to achieve. Oh, and a successful national football team.
• Tavish Scott is Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland
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Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Hugh V McLachlan Elderslie
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 11:36 PMComment removed by moderator
AlanB
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:57 PM#9 You obviously have missed the Welsh referendum earlier last year where the voted to extend the powers of the their parliament. Rightly or wrongly labour created this asymetrical devolution. As such the different devolved parliaments are always now going to have the option of calling for more powers. If you give Wesminster veto then you are effectively saying England can veto the wishes of any of the other countries due to its size. --- And lets face it, now the we have the principle of devolution in the uk why should the will of these devolve parliaments not be respected. If you have devolution of health nhs, why not welfare. Why not have fiscal responsibility for the raising and spending of these devolved areas.
AlanB
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:52 PMIf Tavish wants home rule then surely he must support having it as an option on any referendum ballot paper. To say it confusing is daft. The last referendum for devolution also had 2 questions. How does Tavish expect to get home rule ie dev max without a referendum? It simply does not add up. --- What the lib dems should have done and done when he was leader was to call on the snp to support a referendum for dev max ie fiscal autonomy and devoution of the welfare state. This would have given the libs what they have long wanted (until recently as they are now ruderless and seem to have given up all they believe for the coalition), and the snp a big step in the direction they are wanting anyway.
Hugh V McLachlan Elderslie
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 09:24 PMThe Scottish electorate does not have the authority to devolve additional powers for itself. It is the business of the UK Parliament whether or not, within the union, more power should be devolved to Scotland. The option of 'dev-max' is not one that can be settled by a referendum in Scotland. If there is a referendum, the question should be something like: Do you agree or disagree with the proposition that Scotland should remain in the UK. Mr Salmond's proposed question is a poor one. What is an independent country? Is, for instance, Ireland an independent country? Could Scotland remain in the EU and be an independent country? If the issue is about independence from England and secession from the union, the question should reflect this. Furthermore, Mr Salmond's proposed question asks if we agree that Scotland should be an independent country. This embodies a cheap psychological trick. It should ask whether we agree or disagree. To ask merely if we agree skews the response.
Bruceboy
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 07:31 PMEverybody has not made up their mind. They are called "Don't Know's" Stupid Stupid Tavish
Neil Waugh
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 02:51 PMInteresting how the Scottish Sun runs a full "message to Sun Readers" from the FM and the Scotsman's bizarre editors throw up this clown and loser..... The Sun coverage of the historic day's events was fair and balanced compared to the usual "sky is falling" tripe this newspaper bombards it's dwindling band of readers with..... It looks like Rupe is backing up his recent "I-(heart)-Eck" tweet and wants to make the Sun the official newspaper of Scottish independence. Or at least self determination. ...Be warned so-called Scotsman...Murdoch is comin' after ya!!
douglas-home rule
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 02:04 PMIf you want a home rule parliament, Tavish, then you must campaign for a Devo Max question on the ballot. Enything else is a fraud on the public and you must know that. There is every chance that the Tory Party will win the next Westminster election. If there is a NO in the referendum then we have no chance of further devolution to Scotland. We have no leverage via Labour and the LibDems and you must know that.
The West Awake
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 01:02 PMThis is utter hypocrisy. When I think my opinion of the Lib Dems can't get any lower, a new basement appears. The Lib Dems have had Home Rule as a policy for decades - but what have they actually DONE about it? Let me tell you, NOTHING. What DID they do though regarding Scotlands future? They helped their unionist Tory and Labour pals to torpedo the National Conversation, which would have afforded them a platform from which to advance Home Rule in favour of the anti-democratic Calman Omission, which came up with the rubbish in the Scotland Act which, as far as I'm aware, still represents what the LibDems want for Scotland. NOW, they are yet again refusing an open offer to promote their own policy in the referendum. Their "promise" - what value a Lib Dem promise?, is to campaign for Home Rule at the Westminster election, when even the dugs in the street know they will get slaughtered and in any case will be able to do nowt. The fact is these liars have no intention of pursuing Home Rule, because their unionist paymasters have declared it off-limits. These charlatans are beneath contempt, I sincerely hope they get completely wiped off the political map.
samcoldstream
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 09:26 AMThe author represents a Federal political party. Why has his politicial party remained so quiet about this fact? Are the Lib-Dems shy about revealing this constitutional policy?
Family guy
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 07:44 AMA home rule parliament within the UK is what most across our country want to achieve-------------------Sure Tavish. Look ,I actually respected you as a man and politician. You are well liked and a grafter. However, the lib dems amount to less than a row of beans. My advice to you is, become an independent MSP and you will be free to flex whatever muscle you wish. I am sure your islands would still vote for you.
Wardog
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 03:56 AMTavish Scott is a complete failure of a politician, the Liberals have shown that they cannot be tristed to deliver on their promises.
Angus McLellan
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 01:55 AMMore Douglas-Home Rule empty promises from a discredited politician whose party has no principles and no future. Nick Clegg's slapdown of Simon Hughes when he raised the idea of an English parliament tell us all we need to know about the Lib Dem commitment to federalism: there isn't one.
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