Letter: Taxing problem

For all the millions of words expended on Scottish devolution since the days of the late Labour leader, John Smith, it remains clear that the aim of the unionist parties all along has been to stymie the progress of Scotland to independence. The only real surprise was Tony Blair's 1997 dash to kickstart the devolution process along with the swift transformation of the late Donald Dewar into the "Father of the Nation".

The initial referendum posed the taxation question in the expectation that it would provoke a "No" response and thus ensure only a half-hearted vote for a new Scottish parliament.

Faced with an unwelcome "Yes" vote for taxation powers, the Labour government made sure that the tax provisions were plainly unworkable.

The Calman Commission, instructed to come up with a new obstacle to independence, has come up, as Bill Jamieson recognises (Perspective, 27 January) with tax provisions even less feasible than before.

Robin MacCormick

Dalkeith Road

Edinburgh