Queen's Speech Lie on Scotland

Only last week the Queen was made to read these words from her Government:

"In Scotland, my government will take forward proposals in the final report of the commission on Scottish devolution."

This was meant to be in the programme for Government before the next General Election, both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives said that much of what was promised last Wednesday would not be deliverable in time. Well the Independent is reporting that Jim Murphy the Scottish Secretary is going to announce the proposals to deepen devolution in Parliament today, but will concede that this will not take place until after the General Election.

Last week top Scottish Labour Blogger Yousuf was all full of joy over the impending white elephant paper that Murphy was going to bring before the House. Well he will bring it, but he has already conceded there will not be time to bring it through.

Therefore the party that Yousuf says is the party of Home Rule are not prepared to follow through. That leaves us with the Tories another sponsor of the Calman Commission in Scotland, but their too are running scared of the white paper elephant in the room. One senior Tory has be quoted as saying:

"It's a headache for us. No doubt that's what Gordon Brown intends it to be. We will consider our options carefully."

B...b...but Annabel Goldie was pushing David Cameron to give full-hearted support for the Calman plans in the Commons when the report came out in June. Of course even then she was facing problems from her own MSPs, of course one of them John Lamont wants to be one of the people deciding on that.

If you want deeper powers for the Scottish Parliament a few things are clear, if you vote Labour they'll procrastinate, if you vote Tory they'll have a headache, if you vote SNP they'll decapitate (with out a clean slice and too many unanswered questions). Therefore the only way to get constructive real change and more power for Scotland is to vote Lib Dem.

News of Calman Death Throes Premature

A couple of weeks ago Malc was all for rushing the Calman Commission into intensive care. If not to remove the Liberal Democrat life support. However, news that Labour's submission also calls for greater financial powers for the devolved Parliament would mean there is life in the Commission yet.

Labour are now calling for borrowing powers for the Parliament which brings it in line with both the SNP and Liberal Democrats. They may have mocked when Tavish Scott got an agreement out of Alex Salmod to present to Calman on this, as one of the conditions for backing the budget. But now it seems to have persuaded Labour to also get on board on this one so maybe a stronger devolved Scotland is still on the cards. Indeed the Labour MSP with responsibility for the Calman Commission Pauline McNeill said:

"I am also convinced that Holyrood should have prudential borrowing powers, which would allow us to develop a more coherent strategy for fighting the recession. Labour's submission supports the conclusion of (economist] Anton Muscatelli that borrowing powers are closely allied to revenue-raising powers."

So there you have it. A future budget to help us through the recession may well be more easily paved if such working together on these issues may well grease the road to consensus.

It does not however throw the doors open for all five of John Swinney's steps to independence.

• Current framework Scottish Parliament can vary tax by 3p
• Assigned Revenues Budget determined by amount of revenue collected in Scotland. No power to alter taxes and no block grant
• Enhanced devolution powers Holyrood able to set some taxes. Limited borrowing powers
• Full fiscal autonomy Taxes set in Scotland. Percentage of revenue paid to Westminster for defence and foreign affairs
• Independence All revenues collected in Scotland. Holyrood able to borrow and determine monetary policy

While the Lib Dems have agreed to fiscal autonomy Labour are currently just announcing their move to enhanced powers. Plans to push either further may well backfire on the Finance and First Minister's face.

Westminster Attacking Devolution

Well Westminster is clearly attacking Scottish devolved powers both over Trident placement and new nuclear power stations. In two submissions made to the Calman commission according to reports in the Scotsman today.

Over Trident's placement there is cross party opposition, north of the border, to Trident's replacement, which is currently situated on the Clyde. In June last year Holyrood passed a motion recognising that defence was reserved but opposing the government's decision to maintain the deterrent capability.

The disagreement over energy provision, which is a fully devolved issue is that successive Scottish Parliaments have set far higher renewable energy targets than Westminster, have sought to achieve this without the use of new nuclear stations. Something that is achievable through the wealth of Scotland’s many natural resources. Indeed with the correct blend of generation systems continuity of supply can be maintained. Something that the wind dominated Westminster mindset fails to realise. The need for nuclear and for it's placement to have to be in Scotland are two fallacies that Labour in Westminster are trying to propagate.

However, Labour were one of the parties that launched the Calman commission into Scotland's devolved powers. But now their Westminster mandarins appear to be pulling in on the leash. Are London Labour doing this out of cowardice of the SNP?

Reigning in powers in Scotland is not the way Labour should be looking to counter a SNP threat. Giving more power while within the union mitigates against the need for independence, but Labour seem to be backed up to thier own wicket by Alex Salmond and seem incapable of seeing beyond their noses just now. Merely playing defensive strokes as far as Scotland is concerned, unable to come down the crease and attack.