open Democracy News Analysis - A new leader for the Scottish Lib Dems, - Comments

Stephen Glenn on "A new leader for the Scottish Lib Dems"

Stephen Glenn — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:21:55 +0000

That's a scathing generalisation there in point one Dougthedug. I for one, and I know I'm not alone, was an unhappy Scottish Liberal Democrat last May when the leadership adamantly refused to even contemplate talks over the issue of how arbitrary they seemed to view the democratic voice of the people of Scotland.

If the leadership thought that Scotland would be best served as part of the UK they should realise that we have the skills, gumption and arguments to win the hearts and minds if the people.

As for your summary of Steel clearly you rule out Calman at your peril. If even the PM is talking up far reaching reforms and greater autonomy coming out of it as a result it surely will be a great move to Scotland and may well nullify some of the sting from the Nats bid for independence.

Dougthedug on "A new leader for the Scottish Lib Dems"

Dougthedug — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:17:56 +0000

Stephen Glenn wrote:

While none are making any promises about taking the Lib Dems into coalition with the SNP, Mike and Ross seem more open to discussions with them over how best to achieve an autonomous and Liberal Scotland whose fate is chosen democratically.

The Lib-Dems love democracy as long as it doesn't involve a democratic independence referendum.

The only selling point the Lib-Dems had in England was that they weren't the Tories or Labour. Now that the Tories and the Labour party are pretty much the same product that marketing ploy is getting more difficult to sell and in Scotland where the SNP have put clear blue water between themselves and the Tories, Labour and the Lib-Dems over the policy of independence any differences between the three are just lost in the distance.

Even in England where the voters grow disgusted with Labour they don't turn to the Lib-Dems they vote Tory.

Stephen Glenn wrote:

All three potential leaders take the view that Calman really needs to build on the Steel finding for them to support it.

What are the Steel Report recommendations?
Chapter 10, Page 110.

Let's have a Calman Commission
It should have a look at taxation
Please look at Federalism
How about a new written constitution
Devolution should be written into the new constitution
But if we can't get a new constitution can we get something else which makes devolution a bit more like federalism
Let's call the Scottish Executive the Scottish Government
Proportional Representation should be enshrined in any constitution
Hurrah for local government
Let's have an annual review
Let's get rid of the Scottish Office
There should be a formal committee for discussions between the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments
The Scottish Parliament should get a chance to look at Westminster legislation which has an impact on Scotland
The Scottish Parliament should get more minor powers
The Scottish Parliament should get more other minor powers.
The Scottish Parliament should get even more other minor powers.
We should do something about the Barnett Formula
We should get some believable figures about Scotland's economy
Scotland should get some fiscal federalism
Scotland should get some fiscal federalism and here's some ideas
We've got to think how this affects taxes
Maybe we should give Scotland power over income tax, corporation tax and North Sea oil revenues but maybe we shouldn't

That's going to take them to the barricades.

A new leader for the Scottish Lib Dems,

OurKingdom — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:17:51 +0000

Stephen Glenn (Linlithgow, Lib Dems): What next for the Liberal Democrats in Scotland? They're no longer in a coalition administration but just part of the opposition to an SNP minority government. It's a dangerous position with the Tories strengthening and Labour weakening.

Three candidates have stepped forward to fill the void left by Nicol Stephen's resignation as leader, by the end of next week one of them will be leader. Tavish Scott, a close ally of Stephen, is seen by many as the continuity candidate. Ross Finnie, served eight years in the cabinet when the party was in coalition with Labour after the Scottish Parliament was created. He says the party needs to find its 'narrative' again. Mike Rumbles, who chaired the Holyrood's Standard's Committee for four years, sees a radical path ahead.

In Scotland the balance of power has shifted a lot. The Nats are riding ever higher in opinion polls. But at Holyrood they still need support elsewhere for their policies to succeed. The Scotsman recently reported that they were courting the Lib Dems over Local Income Tax. One thing the three candidates agree on is that any such discussions have to restore the real localness of what is now called LIT. It must not become a National Scottish Income Tax. However, whilst Ross and Mike have been open in saying they could support the SNP Government on issues of commonality, Tavish has been more coy in his public utterances on this.

A key issue that will define the future role of the Lib Dems is The Calman Commission which is an independent review looking again at the workings of Scottish devolution a decade on from the Scotland Act. It will follow the Lib Dem Party's own Steel Commission which reported its final findings in 2006. All three potential leaders take the view that Calman really needs to build on the Steel finding for them to support it. Despite this their own views on where devolution in Scotland should go next do differ. Rumbles echoes back to Gladstone in suggesting that Home Rule for Scotland within the UK is the ultimate aim, taking fiscal autonomy to its ultimate end. Finnie too recognises that Steel had pointed out the lack of taxation powers as a hindrance to a federal type structure and hope that Calman reports ways to strengthen this side of things. Scott agrees on taxes and sees a stronger Parliament at Holyrood and from there outwards to the local councils.

On the face of it, whoever emerges next week as the new leader they see a stronger Scottish Parliament with greater powers and autonomy within the Scotland Act as the way that best suits Scotland's and the UK's interests. But it seems fair to say that Tavish Scott is the most traditional, Mike Rumbles the one most likely to back a radical overhaul of a renewed union with an English Parliament and Ross Finnie is somewhere in between. While none are making any promises about taking the Lib Dems into coalition with the SNP, Mike and Ross seem more open to discussions with them over how best to achieve an autonomous and Liberal Scotland whose fate is chosen democratically.