National Delegate Conference 16-19 June 2008

Calman recommendations must go before ‘civic Scotland’

The final report of the Calman Commission was published yesterday bringing forward a range of key proposals for taking forward devolution in Scotland.

The Commission was set up after the last election by the major opposition political parties in the Scottish Parliament who are committed to continuing the union, partly in response to the SNP administration’s ‘National Conversation’ on the future of Scotland’s governance.

The commissioners, including UNISON Scottish Secretary Matt Smith, have produced 24 recommendations. The most significant of these include:-

- a Scottish-set tax, still collected by HMRC but giving total control in Scotland over 10p in the pound, intended to make the Parliament more accountable

- review of the block grant system from Westminster, although the Barnett Formula should stay for now.-

a review of the formal relationship between the Scottish Parliament and Westminster.

- powers to run Scottish elections should be passed from Westminster to Holyrood.

- Significant in terms of UNISON Scotland’s asylum campaign is that devolved policy areas such as the welfare of children and the potential conflicts with reserved powers – such as immigration – have been recognised by the Commission.

UNISON Scotland will broadly welcome these recommendations as a significant contribution to the debate on the dynamic nature of devolution. The demand for a Scottish Parliament came from civic Scotland represented by the Constitutional Convention.

"What is clear is that the success of the 1997 referendum demonstrated that real constitutional progress can only be achieved when parties work together", added Mike. "But it is too important to leave that to politicians.We need the full engagement of civic society".

“We would argue that the Commission’s proposals should be placed before a similar convention reflecting Scotland’s wide civic society”, said Mike Kirby, UNISON Scotland Convener.

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