EX MINISTERS SAY CALMAN COMMISSION FINANCIAL PROPOSALS ‘INCOHERENT’

EX MINISTERS SAY CALMAN COMMISSION FINANCIAL PROPOSALS ‘INCOHERENT’

GERS ANALYSIS BOOST CASE FOR FISCAL AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE

The financial recommendations of the Calman Commission have been rounded on by former Labour Ministers Sam Galbraith and Brian Wilson who have described them as “incoherent” and said that they take Scotland closer to independence (Sunday Times, today).

Meanwhile, in Scotland on Sunday and the Sunday Herald, Professor Andrew Hughes Hallet – a member of the Commission’s independent expert group on finance – also criticised the recommendations which stop far short of full fiscal autonomy as a “fatally flawed” plan which would put Scotland at a disadvantage.

Commenting, SNP Treasury Spokesman Stewart Hosie MP said that the comments – and publication of the GERS analysis last week showing Scotland with a budget surplus – strengthened the case for full fiscal autonomy and independence, and that the issue should be determined by referendum.

Mr Hosie said:

“While some of the recommendations put forward in the Calman Commission’s report - devolving responsibility for air weapons, drink-drive and speed limits, and the running of Scottish Parliament elections – are constructive and welcome and should be implemented now, the financial proposals are a messy fudge which satisfy no-one.

“Calman’s financial proposals have now been attacked by a member of the Commission’s own working group and other economists, and the whole report has been rubbished by former Labour Ministers Brian Wilson and Sam Galbraith.

“The fundamental weakness of the Calman Report is that it would not give Scotland access to our own resources, or the levers of economic power.

“By contrast, the case for full fiscal autonomy and independence was given a massive boost by last week’s GERS statistics which show that in 2007/08 Scotland’s current budget surplus was £219 million, compared to a UK deficit of £5.3 billion pounds – and that Scotland has been in budget surplus now for three successive years, to the tune of 2.3 billion pounds.

“The SNP have a clearly defined policy – independence and equality for Scotland – and we are very confident that it will prevail in a referendum. The Calman parties should be prepared to put their funding option forward for inclusion on the referendum ballot paper.

“As our victory in the European elections demonstrated, the SNP are winning the support of the people of Scotland who trust us to manage the economy better than the Calman parties – all of whom saw their share of the vote decrease.

“And the attacks by ex-Labour Ministers on the Calman Commission report merely serves to underline the disarray of the London-based parties.”