By Keith Aitken in Edinburgh | 26 March 2012
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has appealed to Scotland’s anti-independence politicians to form a united front in defence of the Union.
Speaking at her party’s conference in Troon at the weekend, Davidson addressed Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders saying: ‘Scotland expects us to work together, and we are. Scotland expects us to lead and we will.’She told delegates: ‘[The Union] is our cause and we shall not be found wanting.’
However, there is little evident enthusiasm among other parties for sharing a platform with the Conservatives, who remain conspicuously unpopular with Scottish voters.
The conference also saw the launch of a campaign group, Friends of the Union, for which Davidson’s predecessor, Annabel Goldie, had promised a ‘cornucopia of constitutional glitterati’. This turned to be former Ulster Unionist leader Lord Trimble, together with Tory peers Baroness Warsi and Lord Strathclyde.
A major problem for the pro-Union forces is the lack of an agreed alternative to independence, with various individuals inclining towards formulae like Devo-plus (Holyrood taking over some UK taxes to fund its spending) or Devo-max (Holyrood raising all taxes, and returning a proportion to Westminster for shared functions).
Meanwhile, the Scottish and UK parliaments have agreed the consent motion which allows the Scotland Bill into law.
The Bill gives Holyrood discretion to set the rate of income tax above the first 10p, and devolves minor taxes like stamp duty and landfill tax, reducing Scotland’s block grant accordingly. It also gives Holyrood its own borrowing powers for the first time, and makes some small adjustments between devolved and reserved powers.
Supporters of the Bill say it will induce responsibility, by forcing the Scottish Parliament to raise much of the money it spends, and so defuse the perennially divisive row over whether England subsidises Scotland or vice-versa. Others believe that true transparency requires fiscal autonomy or full independence.
It also brings some clarity to the next phase of devolution, although few see the Bill as the final word. Prime Minister David Cameron said in Troon that he was keeping an open mind on eventual further transfers of power.
