Leaders: Consultation row detracts from real progress on referendum

BEFORE the real political battle of the independence referendum, it seems there is to be an equally ferocious row over the consultation about the referendum. What a row has greeted the publication of the responses to the UK government’s consultation with the people on how this plebiscite might be conducted.

Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, argues that it shows the coalition’s view – that it should be involved to ensure the legality of the referendum, that there should be one question about independence, and that it should be held sooner rather than later – has been strongly endorsed. Alex Salmond says that it does nothing of the kind, that it is puny and tiny, and, indeed, is completely discredited.

The First Minister points out that his consultation, which has some weeks yet to run, has already received some 12,000 responses, rather more than the 2,857 opinions received by Mr Moore. And the fact that some 740 of the UK responses seem to have used a Scottish Labour Party pro-forma response invalidates the exercise, Mr Salmond reckons.

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He may have a point on the larger size of his consultation, but his concentration on measuring the numbers rather than addressing the issues raised by the words in it, gives a clue to the real politicking going on. Mr Salmond wants to divert attention from some significant problems.

Even discounting the Labour-inspired replies, the quality of the more than 2,000 remaining responses, particularly on the debate concerning the legality of the referendum, raise some serious questions. The legal responses divide, as has the debate so far, between those who think the Scottish Parliament does not have the legal power to hold the poll, and those who think it does.

But even those who support the right of Scottish MSPs to legislate for a referendum think there is enough doubt about the legality of such a move that the issue could well end up in the courts. To prevent that, they advise it would be better if the UK government devolved the necessary rights to Scotland.

Mr Salmond wishes to avoid that because it would give the UK government the leverage to demand that the referendum be held earlier than Mr Salmond’s preferred date of autumn 2014, and that it should be on the single question of independence rather than on the two questions of independence and much greater devolution.

Mr Moore, rather than playing political hardball by standing fast on the significant business preference for an earlier referendum, has already, in effect, opened negotiations on the transfer of the necessary legal power by saying he is reasonably relaxed about the 2014 date, while the SNP government is ready to accept devolved responsibility to hold the vote from Westminster.

Despite the claims and counter-claims from both sides, it seems progress is being made.

Choice words on private health options

Private health care is where you go, provided you have the money, for faster treatment than is available from the NHS. Or, in some cases, where you go if you prefer to pay for the extras which private care can offer. People tend to assume that, since it is private, there will be more choice regarding doctors and hospitals.

The assumption, according to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), does not appear to be true, so it wants the Competition Commission to investigate. On the basis of the evidence yesterday, there certainly appear to be grounds for concern. Some 70 per cent of the private health insurance market, which pays for treatment, is controlled by two big companies and five big providers control 75 per cent of the hospitals and treatment centres.

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This concentration of provision creates barriers to new companies wishing to enter the market, worth about £5 billion in the UK. In some parts of the country, including Edinburgh, there is only one private hospital, raising obvious concerns. And within the existing provision, the OFT found practices, such as loyalty payments to particular doctors, which discourage them from making their services available to other providers.

Scots make much less use of private care than is the case in the rest of the UK, so it may be argued that this move by the OFT is irrelevant north of the Border. But the fact is that private care assists the NHS by relieving pressure on waiting lists. And for those Scots who do use private provision, it is right that there should be an outside examination of the service they pay for to make sure they are getting value for their money.

Counting the blessings of a good book festival

ARE book festivals replacing the Church? The idea, floated yesterday at the launch of the Borders Book Festival by the deputy leader of Scottish Borders Council, might sound preposterous. Book festivals don’t, after all, deliberately set out to meet a spiritual need, tend to be silent when it comes to moral commandments, and inactive when it comes to campaigning against poverty.

But there is a truth of sorts behind Graham Garvie’s off-the-cuff comment, made in the context of highlighting the economic boost – all of £3.4 million – that the festival brings to Melrose and its surrounding area. For book festivals are places that offer food for thought for enquiring minds. They bring a community together. Their best events may, indeed, also inspire and challenge, just as much as the finest sermon.

And look again at the form that book festival events take. The revivalist-meeting tents, for a start. The audience attentively listening to the reading from the text. The discussion over the text’s meaning. And finally, the offering: if the text has proved to be sufficiently inspiring, the congregation might well want to purchase it.

So yes, there are indeed some parallels. With a few more, who knows – could our churches even be as popular as our book festivals?