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Plenary, 02 Nov 2006

02 Nov 2006 · S2 · Plenary

Item of business

Financial Powers <br />(Scottish Parliament)

Purvis, Jeremy LD Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale Watch on SPTV

There is no doubting that Jim Mather is a reasonable man. In this Parliament, in December 2003, he outlined the SNP's position of wanting a debate about fiscal autonomy and the powers of the Parliament. However, he has given no explanation today of why the SNP motion is so coy on independence, which is not mentioned. It is time, as the SNP says, for a debate. However, when my party proposed a second constitutional convention as the vehicle for such a debate, the idea was rubbished by Alex Salmond. He told me that the SNP will not take part because it has its own independence convention—the convention of odds and sods of Scottish politics—and a closed mind to any alternative.

The SNP does not want a debate—it wants separation. Why does it not say that? Why does it not lodge a motion that says what it really wants? Its policy is to hold a referendum in the next session—why does it not say that? Recently we saw what happened when the independent governor of the Bank of England joined the debate about the union and the economy—the SNP jumped on him. It said that it was an outrage and a disgrace for him to open his mouth. The same party wants to set up a council of economic advisers in Scotland. Its meetings will be absolutely boring, as only those who favour separation will be asked to take part and they will be able to give only one type of advice—the advice that Mr Mather wants to hear.

However, all may not be lost—there is a chink of hope for Mr Mather. I understand that the proofs of Mr Russell's new book were returned to him with paragraphs annotated with the Salmond code. Some—not many—were annotated with "RH", for relatively harmless. A few more had "D", for dangerous. However, the book was peppered with "VD"—very dangerous. I wonder which of Mr Russell's recommendations concerned the SNP so much. Perhaps it was his recommendation of "the new union". In that new union, the British Government ruling Scotland would have only the minor powers of foreign affairs and military control. Oh yes—the Queen would also be retained. I suspect that when Mr Mather called for a debate about the constitution and the Parliament's powers, he did not expect such an enthusiastic response from the putative future SNP minister for unionist affairs. I never realised that the referendum that the SNP proposes would not consist of a single question but would be multiple choice, and that people would be asked whether they wanted independence with or without the British Army and with or without the Queen.

If the SNP is hiding its true colours this morning, is there a real debate to be had about the powers of the Parliament, financial and legislative, to which Mr Brownlee referred? The answer is yes. That will not be helped if the next decade is taken up by a debate about separation, but there should be an inclusive approach.

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Plenary, 02 Nov 2006

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