POWERS ARE WELCOME BUT WE NEED MUCH MORE:
As Westminster prepares to unveil its Scotland Bill...
IN the final days before the referendum, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown produced The Vow – a last-minute deal agreed by the three main Westminster party leaders – which he said amounted to ‘nothing less than a modern form of Scottish Home Rule’. It was a pledge that persuaded many people, in the last days of the campaign, to vote No.
Later this week, we will see what that vow amounts to – as the Westminster Government is expected to publish draft clauses for a new Scotland Bill outlining what more powers the Scottish parliament should have.
The paper from the UK Government will set out which of the Smith Commission’s proposals David Cameron is minded to grant to Scotland.
The Opposition parties promised this would be done before Burns Night and I welcome the fact that they appear to be sticking to their timetable.
Yet I am of the view that the new powers proposed for Scotland don’t go nearly far enough.
Under the Smith proposals, the Westminster Government will still control around 70 per cent of tax-raising powers and 85 per cent of welfare powers. That isn’t Home Rule or anything like it.
However, I am equally clear and determined that the SNP will always use all of the powers we have at all times to improve the lives and livelihoods of people in Scotland.
I am proud to lead a government which is delivering a council tax freeze, free personal care and bus passes for the elderly, 1,000 extra police on the streets, more than 25,000 modern apprenticeships and many other policies which better the lives of families throughout the country.
I am determined to use any additional powers our parliament gets wisely as well.
Indeed, that is why I am calling for these powers to be implemented as swiftly as possible. While some of them will require legislation, many of them could be transferred right now if Westminster had the political will.
Control of air passenger duty, payday loans and the Work Programme do not require Westminster legislation to be devolved. These powers could – and should – be transferred to Scotland immediately, without waiting for them to go through the time-consuming Westminster process.
Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow Airport bosses have already written to the leaders of the London parties, urging them to make an early commitment to the devolution of air passenger duty. I hope Westminster pays heed so that, on that issue and many others, we can get to work quickly.
However, even if Westminster accepts all of the Smith proposals – and I hope it does – it is still the case that far too many powers over our economy and social security system will remain in the hands of the Westminster establishment.
The fact that important powers – over the minimum wage, for example – are not being devolved has disap- pointed many people who voted No as well as those who voted Yes.
Recent polls show a clear majority of Scots want the offer on more powers for Holyrood to go much further.
The pressure is coming from all sectors of Scottish society and demonstrating civic Scotland’s disappointment with the current proposals, which were described by One Parent Families Scotland as a lost opportunity and by Inclusion Scotland as failing to offer the chance to reform a broken social security system that leaves so many single parents and children in poverty.
The fact is that people in Scotland want, and were promised, not a few extra powers, but extensive new powers. Instead, what they are seeing is the Westminster parties offering the bare minimum – as little as they think they can get away with.
So while the powers set out in the Smith Commission are undoubtedly welcome, it’s clear that we need to go much further to meet the aspirations of organisations across civic Scotland and of the Scottish people as a whole.
It is no wonder that so many third sector organisations feel let down by the Smith Commission’s proposals, which leave the vast majority of powers over the economy, taxation and welfare in the hands of a distant Westminster establishment which is damaging the living standards of hard-working and vulnerable people in Scotland.
With so many people in Scotland suffering from the effects of Westminster’s austerity agenda, supported by both Labour and the Tories, it is vital that real economic levers to create prosperity and jobs are transferred to Scotland as quickly as possible.
Left to their own devices, Labour have made it clear they will continue with Tory cuts that are hitting hardworking and vulnerable people hardest.
They have admitted they are fully signed up to George Osborne’s austerity agenda.
Only last week, Labour voted with the Conservatives to cut a staggering £30 billion more from public spending, while backing £100 billion spending on Trident nuclear weapons replacement, which reflects totally distorted priorities.
That is why the devolution of as much power as possible from London to Edinburgh is crucial for the wellbeing of ordinary, hard-working Scots families.
We do not seek additional powers for their own sake.
The SNP has proved over the past eight years that it is a competent government in the devolved Scottish parliament.
But with more powers, we can do even more.
It is only by electing a strong team of Scottish Nationalist MPs in May that we will be able to hold the Westminster parties to account and deliver the extensive economic and welfare powers we need to grow our economy, tackle poverty and ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard.
The Smith proposals are not Home Rule – or anything like it