Labour contender: full fiscal autonomy should be on the table

The Fife MSP bidding to be Scottish Labour’s deputy leader has called for an “open discussion” about the prospect of full fiscal autonomy.

Alex Rowley said his party must go further than the devolution proposed in the Smith Commission and focus on which powers should stay at Westminster, rather than what should come to Holyrood.

The Cowdenbeath representative was speaking after Labour abstained on a Westminster vote which would have seen all powers barring defence and foreign affairs transferred north of the border.

He said: “Our focus should be on what powers we need for success as a nation, and then argue for those based on that premise.

“We need to set that out in our 2016 manifesto agenda.

“We should not be talking Scotland down and telling Scotland what it can’t have.

“Post-Smith we need to have an open discussion, including about full fiscal autonomy.”

SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell welcomed his political rival’s statement as he attacked the official opposition abstaining on amendments by the Nationalists and Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh during a committee debate on the Scotland Bill.

Mr Maxwell said: “In the aftermath of Mr Rowley’s comments, and the bizarre performance of Labour MPs in the House of Commons failing to vote against something they continually attack, Kezia Dugdale and Ken Macintosh should both now commit at the very least to Labour having a full and open debate on the merits of full fiscal autonomy.”

Labour’s shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray hit back: “The SNP spent the election campaign promising people they would be a strong voice for Scotland in standing up against Tory cuts.

“The SNP betrayed their promise by trooping through the voting lobby with the extreme right wing of the Tory Party to impose immediate extra cuts of £7.6 billion on Scotland’s public services.

“It’s rank hypocrisy,” he added.