Scottish Labour conference: Lamont to lead ‘devolution commission’

By establishing the commission, the Scottish Labour leader hopes to challenge SNP rhetoric that characterises anything other than more powers for Holyrood as being bad for Scotland.

In her keynote speech to delegates at Scottish Labour’s conference in Dundee today, Ms Lamont will unveil her plans, saying it is time for the party to look forward after last year’s disastrous defeat at the hands of the SNP.

She will also launch an attack on the “cartoon politics” of Alex Salmond, claiming that SNP was trying to reduce its demand for more powers to a “test of political virility”.

The commission, which will be made up of Labour representatives from Holyrood, Westminster, local government and trades unions, will report in a year’s time.

Labour’s attempt to grapple with the constitution will find itself on a crowded pitch, coming at a time when Scotland is wrestling with a Devo Plus campaign, a civic Scotland constitutional debate and a Lib Dem home rule commission.

According to Ms Lamont, Labour’s devolution commission will look at what model of power distribution best serves the people of Scotland.

Yesterday, Labour sources said that the commission would not call for a second question on the referendum ballot paper – adding to the pro-union camp’s desire for one question that will ask the electorate to vote “yes” or “no” on Scottish independence.

Mr Salmond’s critics believe that the First Minister is desperate to have a second question outlining a third constitutional option of more powers as a fallback in case he loses the independence vote.

Even so, the Labour commission will look at devolving more powers to Holyrood, re-reserving powers to Westminster and handing powers to local government level.

The commission will allow Labour to adopt a formal position on the constitution, an issue which has seen a variety of views expressed across the party.

Some figures, such as the former first minister Henry McLeish, have expressed a preference for “devo max”, the settlement that would see all powers save defence and foreign affairs devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Others, including Ms Lamont, appear more inclined to support devo plus, a settlement that would put Holyrood in full control of income tax, corporation tax and most welfare spending.

Unlike devo max, devo plus would leave pensions, VAT and national insurance in the hands of Westminster.

In her speech today, Ms Lamont will say: “We can look at ways that devolution can change. What powers are needed.

“I will lead Labour’s commission on devolution. And on that commission I want not just Holyrood and Westminster colleagues but trade union colleagues and colleagues from local government. Devolution can’t just mean powers going from London to Edinburgh.

“If we believe in devolution we must be more radical than that and ask at which level should power lie if we are to serve the people.

“Our test is what is in the best interest of the people of Scotland. They have no test. They just think more powers for Alex [Salmond] is a good thing.

“Our test is a lot more rigorous than that. We cannot allow ourselves to be boxed into an Orwellian debate – more powers good; anything else bad.

“I will not be seduced into the place where which powers you demand is a test of political virility. Where calling for corporation tax to be devolved somehow makes you harder or more Scottish or even more progressive.

“It won’t be in the interests of Scotland if the only people who benefit are big business, and it won’t be more progressive if it means we spend less on public services, on caring for the vulnerable and giving opportunity to the disadvantaged.”

She added: “The debate on tax powers has to go beyond the cartoon politics of Alex Salmond.”

The opening day of Labour’s spring conference in Dundee’s Caird Hall saw the UK party leader, Ed Miliband, address Scottish delegates.

In a half-hour speech that was delivered without the help of an autocue, Mr Miliband attacked the SNP, claiming that Mr Salmond’s party was failing Scotland’s young people by making “separation” his priority instead of youth unemployment.

His speech was well received by delegates, who also heard their other Westminster big hitters – the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander and the shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy – launch attacks on the Nationalists.

Last night, the First Minister’s spokesman said: “Scotland is in a process of independence and Labour are being dragged into the debate on the need for substantial job creating and social powers for the Scottish Parliament.

“However, Labour are totally incoherent, because at the very time they were publicising the commission, the former chancellor Alistair Darling was supportive of devolving corporation tax at a conference on Scotland’s future.

“In the last parliament, the all-party Scotland Bill committee, chaired by the former Labour Holyrood leader Wendy Alexander, concluded that Scotland should have control over corporation tax if it is devolved to Northern Ireland.”

The spokesman added: “Labour’s move reinforces the need for clarity in place of the current confusion about what a ‘no’ vote in the referendum from the Tories and the other anti-independence parties actually means.

“This information needs to be in the public domain well before the referendum.”