NewsHe wants separate parliament for England Henry McLeish’s devolution call By Campbell Gunn FORMER LABOUR First Minister Henry McLeish yesterday called for the setting-up of a federal UK and a parliament for England. The move by one of Labour’s major figures in Scotland follows Gordon Brown’s admission last week that more powers should be considered for the Scottish Parliament. Mr McLeish claimed a federal UK would put an end to what he described as “grudge and grievance” at Westminster. He added that if Labour did nothing, separation would be the result. “If Labour wants to confront the SNP then a third way is better than the two extremes,” Mr McLeish claimed. "It would send a powerful message to Westminster MPs that in Scotland and Wales devolution is a reality and the genie is out of the bottle. “Labour MPs and MSPs have two different perspectives and that cannot continue. Gordon Brown is sending a new message to the new leader of Scottish Labour that it’s ‘game on’ as far as the SNP is concerned.” The former First Minister added that the current SNP Government was positive, was popular and was running the country well. Weaknesses “But they have weaknesses and Labour can be pro-Scottish devolution but also pro-Union, and can take that to the Scottish people. There’s no doubt federation in the UK will emerge and England must have a voice. “There are 50 million people with no parliament and no voice — why shouldn’t England have a voice?” He added that whether England had a parliament or regional assemblies was a matter that could be decided later. Mr McLeish’s argument was supported yesterday by new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott. In his submission to the Calman Commission on the future of Scottish devolution, Mr Scott said his party also backed a federal set-up. First Minister Alex Salmond said, “Henry McLeish is also right to focus on the needs of all the nations of these islands. “The Scottish Government believes the best relationship for Scotland and England is as equal and independent countries, with the Queen as our shared head of state as part of a social union.”
“The most significant remaining role of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Scotland Office is organising elections to the Scottish Parliament,” Mr Crawford explained. “It’s unclear how a new UK Cabinet post for the ‘nations’ could discharge that responsibility effectively. “The Scottish Government, and Parliament, remain of the view that the best way to avoid the mistakes of last year would be to transfer legislative and executive responsibility to Scotland.” |
© All copyright D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd., 2008 |
FOLLOWING REPORTS that the UK Government is set to scrap the post of Scottish Secretary, Bruce Crawford, the minister for Parliamentary Business, has written to Gordon Brown asking for the transfer of the responsibility for holding elections in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament.
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