I always liked Kenneth Calman, although plenty of people whom I knew certainly didn’t. He is of course quite right that there should be no further devolution of fiscal matters. The dogs bark, as the Arabs say, but the caravan has moved on.
However, why on earth would he consider devolving either energy or broadcasting? These are the next two dogs that are about to bark very, very loudly. They are already very audibly clearing their throats.
Oh, well, such devolution will not happen while there is breath in Gordon Brown’s body. And by the time of the next Election, the energy and broadcasting dogs will be howling their heads off. There was never much chance of the Scots voting for further devolution. By then, the likelihood of that among quite possibly the most risk-averse people on earth will be as good as nil.
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I would not know David. The UK government devolved the Scottish government's jurisdiction on maritime matters from 12 miles off the coast to 200 miles.
ReplyDeletePlus more powers were given over fishing and renewable power plants.
I thought you would have noticed that last week.
Strange for a UK government that is totally against devolving more powers.
As you knpow, that isn't quite what happened.
ReplyDeleteEnergy? Broadcasting? Tax? As if! The reason Brown would never countenance such a thing is, as much as anything else, because he is Scottish.
An Englishmen as PM probably wouldn't, but might just. But a Scot certainly never would.
Less than half of registered voters voted for the current devolution. No chance of a majority for any more. SNP too frightened to hold a referendum on independence. Never going to be one. Calman has been nothing but another waste of public money.
ReplyDeleteBroadcasting - looks likely that the Scottish Parliament will get supervisory powers over programmes being made in Scotland. Scottish establishment - even the Tories - sick and tired of the Anglocentricity, indeed Metrocentricity of the broadcast media.
ReplyDeleteTax - up for debate. More likely some sort of reform on central funding and powers over non-controversial taxes such as stamp duty. Essentially EU law forbades competing rates of VAT and Corporate taxation within a member state so will probably go down the German route of assigned revenues on that one.
Energy - the question is over the Scottish government's planning powers that have been threatened to be used as a veto over new nuclear power plants. Personally within a UK context, most energy issues should lie with the UK authorities anyway. The Scottish government is however active in promoting (by funding) of renewables.
You seem to be banging your head against the wall of the Scottish establishment. They saw off Thatcher - as she admitted in her memoirs - Brown knows he can only annoy them so much.
The Scottish establishment made him. They can help break him by falling behind Salmond on certain issues without totally supporting the SNP.
BNP planning to campaign in Scotland on if you never voted for devolution ticket. Not if you voted no, just if you never voted yes. Lots of votes to be had there.
ReplyDelete"looks likely that the Scottish Parliament will get supervisory powers over programmes being made in Scotland"
ReplyDeleteWhat, and that's it? Even then, believe in it when you see it. And look forward to lots more "except for viewers in Scotland" interludes when popular programming is replaced with whatever Scotland's great and good think is more suitable.
"Tax - up for debate"
No, it isn't. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be (although it shouldn't be). I'm saying that it isn't. Brown's and Darling's ears are closed on that one. Any PM's and Chancellor's always will be.
"They saw off Thatcher - as she admitted in her memoirs"
She admitted no such thing. She just said that she got so sick of Scotland that she stopped bothering.
"They can help break him"
Oh, puhhlease! Just how insular has Scotland become since devolution? It is tragic, really. Whoever these people are can "break" a member of the G8 who controls a Permanent Seat on the UN Security Council and has nuclear codes? Come on! I wouldn't be surprised if he could no longer even remember half their names. And no one outside their own little world has ever heard of any of them.
"Less than half of registered voters voted for the current devolution."
ReplyDeleteWhen was the last time a UK government commanded such a thing either?
Thatcher - "You take on the Scottish establishment, whose views are parroted through the printed and electronic media - at your peril"
"When was the last time a UK government commanded such a thing either?"
ReplyDeleteNo comparison. That's just playing the game, not (drastically) altering the rules.
No Act of Parliament is regarded as final, so why should a referendum in which fewer than half of eligible voters voted for the winning side be so regarded?
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly not an exercise in popular sovereignty as understood in Scots Law. I am not sure what would be, but securing less than half the eligible vote certainly is not.
I bow to your professional expertise where Scots Law is concerned, although the point that no one can really think of anything specific that would constitute an exercise in popular sovereignty is very well made, and needs to be made much more often.
ReplyDeleteSee Anonymous 16:56, I fear, on the practical electoral consequence of this "settled will" business.
A sovereign popular will can never be settled or it wouldn't be sovereign.
ReplyDeleteDo you know, I'd never thought of that. But you are right, of course.
ReplyDelete