Call to unite devolution reviews

THE twists and turns of Scottish Labour over whether there should be an independence referendum has sparked a call to revive the Constitutional Convention which created the Scottish Parliament.

The suggestion by the Green Party, which is pro-independence, would see the various Scottish constitutional reviews currently ongoing brought together.

These include the SNP's "national conversation", the Calman commission set up by the unionist parties on the future of devolution, and the revived Steel Commission led by Lord David Steel, which is putting together the Liberal Democrats' view on where devolution should go.

The Greens criticised the approach taken by the other parties to Scotland's constitutional future as short-term and tactical.

Patrick Harvie, a Green MSP, said:

"Neither side has yet made a convincing attempt to start a broader discussion, nor have they made any significant effort to say what the constitution should actually be for.

"That is why we believe their processes should be merged and opened up. We are calling for a revival of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, and encouraging all parties with an interest in Scotland's future to come together and to work with both the public and civic Scotland."