Parties join forces to bulldoze SNP

The group, proposed by Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, will consider how to give greater powers to Holyrood without breaking up the UK.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats refused to take part in the "national conversation", claiming it would lead to a referendum on independence.

The new constitution commission will be publicly funded and will include the Westminster wing of the parties as well as private and public institutions.

The independently chaired body will also look at non-fiscal powers over abortion, broadcasting and air guns.

But the SNP questioned whether funding could be found in the Scottish Parliament budget for the commission and argued any debate about the future of Scotland should include the option of independence.

Addressing the parliament for the first time since the row over donations to her successful campaign for the leadership of Scottish Labour, Ms Alexander made an impassioned 11-minute speech.

"I believe that Scots seek a future that gives them the chance to walk taller without having to walk out," she said.

Ms Alexander pointed out that the majority of people in Scotland are not in favour of independence, but do want more powers for the Scottish Parliament. She said the commission would do this without breaking up the UK.

"It is a bold cross-party and cross-Border initiative to look again at how this place serves the interests of Scotland," she said.

"It is, I think, the first time the principal opposition parties have worked together not merely on a reactive basis, but on a pro-active one.

"And despite the bluster we will hear from the SNP, the truth is that it scares them stiff.

"Because if we offer Scotland what it wants - speaking for Scotland, standing up for Scotland, siding with Scotland - it is much more attractive to Scots than using them in order to push your own political agenda."

Ms Alexander said the commission, to be set up in the New Year with "appropriate resources and funding" from the Scottish Parliament, will look at the best thinking from across the UK.

And although Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, ruled out more fiscal powers for the Scottish Parliament during the election, she said the commission must look at "financial accountability".

Annabel Goldie, the leader of the Scottish Tories, said the debate was the "most important" which has so far been held in the Scottish Parliament.

"It is the start of devolution phase two - a process which will chart the direction of this parliament and the future of Scotland in the 21st century."

Nicol Stephen, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said extending powers had to include tax-raising control as no "self-respecting parliament" can exist permanently on a single grant from another.

"I propose that personal taxation can be determined by this parliament," he added.

Nicola Sturgeon, deputy leader of the SNP, welcomed the conversion of Labour and the other parties to back more powers for the parliament. But she said any conversation on the future of Scotland should include the option of independence.

"I think the real question today for the opposition parties is this: once they've decided what their preferred option is, will the opposition parties be prepared, will the opposition parties have the courage, to put that option before the people of Scotland in a democratic referendum? If the answer to that question is no then I don't think they deserve to be taken seriously in anything else they say."

Patrick Harvie, the Green MSP, also criticised the commission for limiting the scope to securing Scotland's position within the UK.

"Wendy Alexander says the SNP should not push their own agenda on this issue," he said.

"Yet the remit proposed for the commission deliberately restricts the commission, binding its hands while calling it independent.

"If it was an independent commission, it would be given a free hand to look at all options."

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, a cross-party group which controls the parliament budget, will have to allocate appropriate resources and funding to the commission.

However, Tricia Marwick, a member of the body, questioned whether this was possible without details of how much the commission will cost or long it will take.

Bruce Crawford, the minister for parliamentary business, said the opposition parties would be better to take part in the national conversation.

"The task for the main opposition parties - who all now advocate more powers for the parliament - is to define exactly which powers they mean, so that the option can then be included in a referendum ballot paper," he said.

• Alex Salmond, the First Minister, renewed his calls for energy policy to be the responsibility of the Scottish Government. He was speaking at the Scottish Oil Club Dinner in Edinburgh last night.

Nationalists' private pleasure in defeat

ANALYSIS

ONE Conservative MSP claimed that yesterday's debate and vote represented the most important decision of the Scottish Parliament since devolution. He may be right.

On the surface, the vote to set up a Scottish Constitutional Commission to look into the powers of the parliament appears to be nothing more than yet another talking shop, indeed, that was one of the accusations the SNP threw at it.

But it is highly significant for several reasons. This was the first time that the opposition parties have united to drive through a policy of their own, bulldozing through the counter claims of the government.

It was also the first time any opposition has managed to commit public cash to its own, new initiative.

Earlier this year, the opposition parties combined to force through the funding for the Edinburgh trams, but that was an existing project, on the cards for some time.

And finally, and most importantly, yesterday's decision established a formal body to expand the powers of the Scottish Parliament. It really is now a question of when, and not if, the parliament gets more powers.

That is crucial because it shows how far the devolution debate has moved on from 1997.

There is now an acceptance, across the board, that the Scottish Parliament needs more responsibility over revenue raising as well as spending and, whether the unionist parties like to admit it or not, it means that the debate is moving inexorably towards the SNP's arguments.

There are still a lot of questions to be answered over the constitutional commission, but it appears as if the plan is for the commission to sit for several months, to examine the issues and to prepare a report.

That report would then be endorsed by the three unionist parties and taken to London, conveniently by-passing the SNP Government completely.

That is because any changes to the powers of the Scottish Parliament have to be made at Westminster.

If, as is likely, the three unionist parties support the commission's findings, then they will help to open the requisite doors at Westminster to get the issue on to the agenda.

Then, some months - or even years - down the road, the Scotland Act will have to be re-opened, adjusted and amended to change the constitution yet again.

The Nationalists opposed yesterday's motion, insisting that their National Conversation on independence is the best way to proceed.

But they will be pleased, privately. Yes, they want independence, but any moves to give the Scottish Parliament more fiscal and general powers represent further steps along the road. And it can all be done without the SNP having to play any part at all.