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Scotland’s constitutional future
08/11/2009
The Calman Commission was a missed opportunity, Constitution Minister Michael Russell said today.
Mr Russell was responding formally to the Commission's report and said that only the National Conversation represented the potential for real change.
The Minister, who on Monday evening will deliver a lecture on Scotland's constitutional future at University College London, said that while he welcomed recognition that change was required, the Commission's work was fundamentally flawed because of its inability to consider options for Scotland outwith current constitutional arrangements.
Mr Russell said:
"The success of the Parliament has inevitably led to a hunger for further reform of the devolution settlement. The establishment of the Calman Commission recognised that hunger - but it provided very limited nourishment.
"Let me be clear - there are recommendations within their report, around half of the total, that we agree with. Indeed there are proposals on which we would welcome early and decisive action - control of airguns, drink driving limits and having the responsibility to run elections to the Scottish Parliament, amongst others.
"But the Commission was strictly limited in its remit and its outcomes. On several key issues - most notably finance - Calman's recommendations are either flawed or do not go nearly far enough. Scotland would remain reliant on UK Government funding, and what the Treasury gave with one hand it could take away with another.
"Calman did not consider independence or full fiscal autonomy to allow Scotland to take responsibility for the money it spends, and take important economic decisions for itself. And it chose not to recommend changes to major areas of policy still decided in London for Scotland - on the economy, on energy, on benefits, on employment and on company law.
"I firmly believe that Scotland will not fulfil its potential until the powers of the Parliament are complete and Scotland is independent. Independence would provide the opportunity to make decisions for ourselves - it would bring new rights as well as new responsibilities.
"Our National Conversation - unlike the Calman Commission - is prepared to welcome all views. The Scottish Government - unlike the UK Government - believes that the Scottish public should have their voice heard on Scotland's constitutional future.
"That is why we will bring forward a White Paper on a Referendum Bill on St Andrew's Day. And that is why we will bring forward a Referendum Bill to Parliament in 2010.
"Scotland's people have the right to choose. No politician should stand in the way of that basic truth."
Mr Russell will be speaking at an University College London lecture entitled 'The Debate about Scotland's Constitutional Future' at 1800 hours on Monday, November 9.