The Calman Commission has released its final report
On the West Lothian Question they have this to say:
Scottish MPs have the right to participate fully in all Commons business, affecting all parts of the United Kingdom. A feature of asymmetric devolution is therefore that Scottish MPs are unable to vote on matters affecting Scotland that have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but are able to vote on the same matters as they affect other parts of the UK – the “West Lothian Question”. (The West Lothian Question affects all of the UK, and is a matter for the UK Parliament, not a matter for the Commission.)
In other words the commission tasked with securing “the position of Scotland within the United Kingdom” takes no view on the voting rights of Scottish MPs in the United Kingdom Parliament.
The words ‘out’ and ‘cop’ spring to mind.
The Final Report can be downloaded here: Serving Scotland Better: Scotland and the United Kingdom in the 21st century (Final Report).
Telegraph: Scottish devolution: Calman report urges greater tax powers for Holyrood
Herald: Calman proposals could be Murphy’s golden moment
Times: Scotland ‘to get sweeping tax powers’ at expense of block grant
Politics.co.uk: Devolve more to Scots, commission says
Sun: We’re still not on full power
BBC: ‘Radical’ Holyrood powers urged
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The English Democrats have issued the following press release.
Calman report urges: ‘Buy Scottish votes with English money’!
Today’s Report from the “Commission on Scottish Devolution” shows the big three, Lib/Lab/Con, Unionist Parties ganging up against Nationalists. Sir Kenneth Calman, the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow urges that yet more English money should be used to bribe Scots to vote Unionist to try to block the Scottish National Party’s call for Scottish Independence.
English Democrats’ Chairman, Robin Tilbrook, said: “The Calman Commission’s Report gives us English a rare glimpse of Unionist contempt for English interests. It also shows how U.K. politics is changing into a contest between Unionism and Nationalism. The Report confirms that Unionists regard England as just a cash cow to be milked to buy support from Scottish voters! English interests and protests are yet again to be ignored in the scramble for Unionist power in Scotland ”.
Robin Tilbrook continued: “The Report’s approach is neither democratic nor proper and reflects a much more significant ideological corruption at the heart of Unionism than even its politicians’ expenses claims. Conservative support for this report also goes to prove that a Government under David Cameron would be just as hostile to English interests as Gordon Brown’s has been.”
June 15th, 2009 at 12:02 pmThe Justice Committtee have also issued a press release:
Justice Committee
Select Committee Announcement
House of Commons * 7 Millbank * London SW1P 3JA http://www.parliament. uk/justicecom
Committee contact: 020 7219 8196/8198 * Email: justicecom@parliame nt.uk
Media enquiries: Jessica Bridges Palmer 020 7219 0724
Press notice No. 38 of Session 2008-09
15 June 2009 / For Immediate Release
Justice Committee welcome the Calman Commission’s report
The Justice Committee has today welcomed the publication of Sir Kenneth Calman’s report on devolution in Scotland , Serving Scotland Better: Scotland and the United Kingdom in the 21st Century. The Justice Committee published its report Devolution: a decade on, on 24 May 2009, which considered the impact of ten years of devolution on the United Kingdom .
The Chairman of the Committee, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP said:
“We welcome the work of the Calman Commission on how devolution could be developed in Scotland, but these recommendations need to be considered alongside the Justice Committee’s report, which raised issues about the governance of England, which we described as the “unfinished business” of devolution”.
“We also welcome the recommendation that the Barnett formula is no longer an appropriate mechanism upon which to base funding decisions and welcome the interest that Sir Kenneth Calman has taken in the component parts of the United Kingdom, which were also considered in our report, Devolution: a decade on.”
Notes:
1. Committee membership is as follows: Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP (Chairman), Mr David Heath MP, Rt Hon Douglas Hogg MP, Siân James MP, Jessica Morden MP, Julie Morgan MP, Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, Robert Neill MP, Dr Nick Palmer MP, Linda Riordan MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Mr Andrew Turner MP, Mr Andrew Tyrie MP and Dr Alan Whitehead MP
2. The Justice Committee is itself barred from considering the facts and merits of individual cases.
3. The Justice Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2008-09, Devolution: A Decade On, HC 529 can be found at http://www.publicat ions.parliament. uk/pa/cm200809/ cmselect/ cmjust/529/ 52902.htm
Further Information: http://www.parliament. uk/justicecom http://www.parliame nt.uk/conaffcom>
June 16th, 2009 at 8:13 amMedia Enquiries: Jessica Bridges Palmer (020 7219 0724) email: bridgespalmerj@ parliament. uk; Clare Mills (07795 662742);
Specific Committee Information: Tel 020 7219 8196/ 8198, email: justicecom@parliame nt.uk mailto:conaffcom@ parliament. uk>
Committee Website:
Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: http://www.parliamentlive. tv
Select Committee Calendar: http://www.parliament. uk/what_s_ on/hoc_news3. cfm
Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster , 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on http://www.parliament. uk
The Calman commission is mostly froth.. the taxation proposals are unworkable within the existing taxation system, the tax office have no mechanisms to deal with Scotland having different rates of tax from England. See the article from the Hootsmon ( Scotsman ) on the right — “For years the annual official GERS report (Government Expenditure and Revenue, Scotland) has admitted it had to estimate the various tax proceeds for Scotland.”
Although Calman may recommend that the Barnett system can be changed – it also says that it should remain in place. IMHO Barnet would be ok if they could get the balance right , ie equal amounts for each country, the current discrepancies in the amounts is just daft.
Scotland should have representation at the Westminster parliament, however I fail to see why we need Scottish MP’s at all ( they are a useless bunch ) personally I would like to see MSP’s debating UK issues ( not English only issues ) in Holyrood, coming to a conclusion and representing the views of the Scottish parliament at Westminster . I have no idea how that would work but it seems daft to have MP’s from Scotland voting on issues and having no accountability to the national parliament of Scotland . You could have, in theory, a situation where you have an SNP led Scottish parliament and Labour Scottish MPs in Westminster with opposed views .. oops .. we may have that already .
Calman was instigated by the Unionists and is clearly a unionist based report, we can therefore only expect unionist proposals from it.
On a dafter point if Calman says that Scotland can set traffic rules – speeds etc .. then wouldn’t it be fun if Scotland decided to follow Europe and drive on the other side of the road and use KPH instead of MPH .. imagine the fun at the border
June 19th, 2009 at 7:54 pmi wonder where the report is the says ‘Serving England better’ more assymetrical predudice me thinks.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:24 amjust to let you know,,,,,,the snp where lambasted from all parties and media for not supporting the calman report when it was first suggested,(it didnt mention referendom)then when it was published all parties and media were singing the praises of the report and bemoaning the snp for not supporting it…now snp have looked at it and agreed with most of it and are urging the other parties to push it forward..now the other parties are want to discuss it first they are sqirmming ,you couldnt make it up snp are playing them all like a fiddle
July 1st, 2009 at 6:01 pmCalman commission !!!!!! Devolution!!!!!!!
Take a look at this link to see what Brown really thinks.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2009/07/01/gordon-brown-a-decade-on-we-can-make-devolution-even-better-86908-21485791/
July 1st, 2009 at 6:15 pm