Labour reveals plan to save the Union
● Brown’s blueprint to abolish Lords and ‘enhance’ Scotland’s place in UK
Sir Keir Starmer will today outline his party’s attempt to save the Union as Labour commit to abolishing the House of Lords and to giving Scotland an “enhanced” role within the UK.
The long-awaited constitutional commission will attempt to woo socalled “middle Scotland” – the third of voters who want change but are undecided on independence – and bring soft Yes supporters away from the SNP to Labour ahead of the next general election.
The pledges, which include reform of the House of Lords and the potential of additional borrowing powers for Scotland, will be published in a 155-page document with 40 recommendations.
The SNP said the plans appear to undermine devolution rather than strengthen it.
Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, who chaired the Commission on the Future of the UK since it was established by Sir Keir in 2020, said the report demonstrated the debate in Scotland was now “change within the UK through Labour, or change by leaving the UK through the SNP”.
However, Mr Brown appeared to back the idea that the next general election would be a test of the independence question. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it will be a “de facto” referendum.
The report will not set out a route to independence – a point of contention for the SNP and Nationalist voters
the recent Supreme Court ruling that Holyrood could not legislate for a second independence referendum.
Asked why he and Labour had not set out such a route, Mr Brown said the programme of “major constitutional, social, economic and political reform” provided the “answer to people’s desire for change”.
However, the former Labour leader suggested the next general election will provide voters with the opportunity to choose between Labour’s agenda for change and the SNP’S vision of independence.
Mr Brown said: “Nicola Sturgeon herself has said the issue is now the next general election, so let’s see what the difference is between what they want at the next general election and the social, economic, political, and constitutional reforms that are absolutely massive in their impact and in line with Scottish opinion.
“The SNP were talking about a referendum a few weeks ago, now they’re talking about a general election. We are also talking about a general election that can return a government that can deliver these reforms.”
Alongside reforms such as the abolition of the Lords in favour of an elected secfollowing ond chamber of nations and regions, the report will also implement a legal requirement for co-operation between devolved governments and Westminster, alongside enshrining national “missions” such as reducing child poverty into the constitution.
Scotland will be given an “enhanced” role in the UK through the reforms, with additional representation in the new second chamber.
This chamber, the report authors said, will have the power to influence legislation which “seeks to breach certain constitutional requirements”, including the Sewel Convention which states Westminster should not normally legislate on devolved matters without the consent of Holyrood.
This second chamber, however, will be reformed while still “recognising the valuable work that Labour peers do in the current system”.
Labour will also pledge to bring in more directly elected mayors, with the Scottish Parliament given the power to bring them in for cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. The party will also pledge to report on greater fiscal powers for Scotland around borrowing.
A new council of the UK, chaired by the prime minister and attended by all the first ministers will also supersede the Joint Ministerial Committee of devolved ministers which has effectively ceased working in recent years.
Another new council, one of nations and regions, will also be created to focus on issues around economic development across the UK. Scotland will also be given representation on UK national bodies such as the Foreign Office, the Bank of England and energy regulator Ofgem “by right”.
Labour are also set to pledge the devolution of the Job Centre network and a major increase in business investment programmes through national business banks.
MSPS will also be given the same rights as MPS in Westminster around privilege, allowing them to avoid legal concerns when raising issues in the Holyrood chamber.
Scotland will also be given the power to join international agreements and bodies such as Erasmus, Unesco, and the Nordic Council.
All of the measures will be underpinned by a new “British mission” that is “enshrined in the constitution”, including the delivery of the NHS, free education, equality, protecting citizens from crime, and ending poverty among children and pensioners.
Mr Brown said: “Keir Starmer … is determined to make these changes. The recommendations are very clear that this is not only a good thing to do, but it’s necessary for people to feel that they are part of doing something together.
“It is about creating a new sense that there’s a shared mission of the United Kingdom which includes eliminating poverty, and includes ensuring … a universal health service, free at the point of need, accessible to all.
“These are mission statements written into the future of the UK. Labour – whatever happens, as long as it is in government and no matter how many MPS it has in different areas of the country – will want to implement that.
“If you want this change, if you want change to happen and you want change to happen as quickly as we can do it if we are a Labour government, then there’s no point in voting SNP or Conservatives, it’s vote Labour to ensure the change takes place that will make the UK a better place.”
SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said: “After bigging up this report for months and months, this is yet another underwhelming constitutional reform plan from the Labour Party full of vague platitudes, empty promises, and what feels like the 10,000th time they have committed to reform the House of Lords.
“The fact is, Labour are now a pro-brexit party with a probrexit leader. They are completely at one with the Tories when it comes to ignoring Scotland’s vote to remain in the European Union, and ignoring the democratic will of the people of Scotland to determine their own future – and nothing in these proposals changes that.
“Through independence, Scotland can build a genuine partnership of equals with other nations across these islands … allowing us to escape the failing Brexit-based UK economic model and build a fairer, more prosperous and sustainable Scotland.”
has faced accusations that he has proposed several Conservative MPS for peerages but told them to delay accepting to avoid triggering byelections.
Speaking to Times Radio, Lord Norton said there was “an argument for upping the quality threshold of those appointed” to maintain public trust and for reforming the appointments process to improve transparency.
But he urged against largescale reform, arguing there were “problems” with proposals made by Labour and former prime minister Gordon Brown, who is leading a constitutional review of how the chamber works.
Lord Norton said: “The problems with Gordon Brown’s proposals and to some extent with what Keir Starmer has been saying: on the one hand he was talking about getting rid of the Lords while maintaining to continue its current functions, as if you can separate discrete entities – the way a body is chosen and the job that it does – and the two are clearly linked.
“So the present task does add value in terms of the law of this country, in regards to ensuring this nation has good law is a public good and I think the House of Lords contributes to that which is its principal role – its detailed legislative scrutiny, it improves the law of this country.
“So we want to, I would argue, retain that. So one has to be wary of some Big Bang reform, grand reform.”
He added: “Despite some high-profile appointees that attract controversy, it’s the rest, if you like, that matter; the majority ensures that the Lords can engage in detailed legislative scrutiny, which you’re going to lose, I think, if you have it as simply a second elected chamber.”
The Observer newspaper reported last month that Sir Keir told Labour peers that part of the argument for reform was the public having “lost faith in the ability of politicians and politics to bring about change”.
Under his plans, the Lords replacement would be “truly representative” of the UK’S nations and regions while still retaining its role as the second chamber in relation to the Commons.
In a briefing for Scottish journalists yesterday, Mr Brown insisted the current upper chamber was “indefensible” and had to go.
He warned that the issue could “come to a head” when Mr Johnson publishes his resignation honours list which is expected to include a number of new peers.