A Herald readers comment on Labours Devo Nano plans Even the language of the summary report which I read was the language of Westminster rather than Holyrood and it sadly looks as though the Westminster MPs won the day. Some interesting ideas in it, a Scottish H&SE and consumer body, the problem with these is that the powers would still be at Westminster, so these would be just an extra layer at extra expense, without any power to seek changes in legislation - except through Holyrood and then to Westminster. I can see an immediate problem with that considering the fairly recent Oil industry problem with EU H&S regulations, for which Westminster obtained a derogation from the EU. The Scottish Government would be powerless - literally - to achieve this, so would have to filter it through Westminster, with the SNP at Holyrood and Labour at Westminster, or Labour in Holyrood and Tory in Westminster. Considering the recent problems, that might be just as bad as Labour at Westminster, putting Holyrood Labour MSPs in their submissive place. Apart from that the only actual extra revenue raising power is to up the tax on the rich and hope they dont move to Berwick, Newcastle or Carlisle. So any extra body such as H&SE would take money out of Holyroods kitty. Less money for nurses and teachers, not more. And Crown Estates - a muddle that gives NO extra revenue to Scotland as Labour want it to remain part of the Wider Crown Estates. In other words the island councils do not get what they asked for, 80% of the revenue. They get more input into the process and can seee more clearly those revenues leave Scotland. Oh, but they can lease their own land and sea from the Crown Estates, whoopee do. This isnt devo-max, its not even devo-plus. It gives nothing useful to Scotland apart from the small-minded ability to punish rich people for being rich and expel them from Scotland. Its more devo-minus, as the report talks about solidarity and equal social and benefits all over the UK. Well, in Scotland we did have free prescriptions and university tuition etc. Show some solidarity Scotland! Make the punters pay. I forgot, in the report it has Browns suggestion: The Scottish Parliament is a permanent feature of the UK constitution and that legal provision should be made to reflect the political reality that the Scottish Parliament is indissoluble and permanently entrenched in the UK constitution. This would make Holyrood better off than the UK Parliament which can be dissolved by the Head of State, the Queen. Therefore it can not happen. In any case the mother Parliament actually has a duty to oversee the correct running of any devolved assembly or government. Adding that to control over Holyrood elections, and I guess it means an incoming majority SNP Government could change the time for the next election from 5 years to 30 years ... And no devolution of APD, in case our airports compete with London
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 07:49:18 +0000
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