Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 September 2019
24 Sep 2019 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Common Frameworks
Some may say that this debate is pointless. I hope that it is—if we stop Brexit, we will not have to have any of this.
However, I do not agree that the debate is pointless. Adam Tomkins is right that we need to reform our decision-making processes across the United Kingdom, so we need to have the debate. The abolition of Brexit might make it a slightly easier debate to have, in that we might have a bit longer to decide on that reform and make it better—I am sure that Adam Tomkins does not agree with that. However, we need to make a change.
I am pleased to support the recommendations in the report that common frameworks will be “required” and
“arrived at through agreement and not imposed”,
with
“robust ... intergovernmental relations (especially dispute resolution)”
in place.
Those are exactly the principles of a federal United Kingdom that I have been articulating for many years. People often attack us, saying that we have not got very far in 100 years. However, we turn to the report and find that more and more people support our ambitions for a federal United Kingdom. I note that Murdo Fraser is smiling—I know that he wants a federal United Kingdom as well.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
I am sorry, but I must call members to business. We have—quite rightly—eaten into some 10 minutes of the time for this afternoon’s debate, so we must move on...
Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
I begin by sincerely thanking my colleagues on the Finance and Constitution Committee for the significant work undertaken to develop this unanimous report. O...
The Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations (Michael Russell)
SNP
I cannot help but agree with Bruce Crawford’s point, because I cannot help but notice that there are twice as many people in the chamber as there are in the ...
Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
If Scotland were ever to be an independent member state of the European Union, it would, under the rules of qualified majority voting, have to accept common ...
Michael Russell
SNP
Adam Tomkins has made an interesting point, which I take in the spirit in which it was made. It is essential that we complete the intergovernmental review. I...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the Finance and Constitution Committee convener, Bruce Crawford, not just for his opening exposition of the background of post-Brexit common framewor...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Does the member accept that there is already some policy divergence? Under the present system, there is a common framework that we have to agree to, but we c...
Murdo Fraser
Con
That is a perfectly fair point. Here, we are dealing with powers that are currently held at the EU level and it is policy divergence in those powers that nee...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
In opening the debate on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party, I will set out its position on the necessary collaborative approach to the process for developi...
Michael Russell
SNP
I mentioned in my remarks that there was considerable activity between the Scottish Government and parliamentary clerks about involving the Parliament in scr...
Alex Rowley
Lab
That is to be welcomed, and I hope that we will see more progress on it. The committee concluded that “Non-legislative approaches, however, do not prov...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
I echo Bruce Crawford’s thanks to everyone who contributed to the committee’s work on the subject. It is worth noting that the context has changed somewhat s...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Some may say that this debate is pointless. I hope that it is—if we stop Brexit, we will not have to have any of this. However, I do not agree that the deb...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is a call to arms if ever I heard one, Mr Fraser.
Murdo Fraser
Con
Does Mr Rennie share my regret that, in all the years of the coalition Government, when the Liberal Democrats were right at the heart of the Administration a...
Willie Rennie
LD
Much as I would love to agree with Murdo Fraser, I have to tell him that the forces of conservatism got in our way. The Conservatives were desperate to keep ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate. Speeches should be of five minutes, unless individual members have had previous agreement from the Presiding Officer to have a lo...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
I thank my colleague Gordon MacDonald, who gave me one of his minutes. Although I joined the Finance and Constitution Committee after the report was written...
Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con)
Con
With the UK set to leave the European Union at the end of October, I am grateful that the Finance and Constitution Committee has the opportunity today to spe...
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome today’s debate, and I congratulate the Finance and Constitution Committee on its helpful report into this complex area of law. I wish that the deb...
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The decision of voters in the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union has caused political shock waves, anger and division, along with confusion and unce...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
It is a shame that Willie Rennie is temporarily out of the chamber. On 24 May 1916, Herbert Asquith appointed the Welsh wizard, Lloyd George, to solve the pr...
Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Like others before me, I commend the committee for its work; I particularly commend Bruce Crawford for his leadership on the issue, which is, and will contin...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
Your sudden finish caught me by surprise there, Mr Lindhurst. I call Jenny Gilruth. 16:23
Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)
SNP
I am not a member of the Finance and Constitution Committee, but the content of the report on common frameworks should be of importance to all members. I add...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Finance and Constitution Committee for taking evidence and for preparing its thorough report. Our committees’ scrutiny work is vital in preparing...
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
SNP
In carrying out some research for the debate, I came across the Institute for Government’s article “Common frameworks, devolution and Brexit”, which explains...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the closing speeches. 16:39
James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Finance and Constitution Committee for the work that it carried out in producing its comprehensive report on common frameworks. I recently left t...
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests in so far as it relates to farming. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate....