Labour's Record On Devolution

"There's a joke in the Scottish Party about our 1918 manifesto. Then we promised Home Rule, proportional representation and the prohibition of alcohol. And in more than seventy years we have managed to secure none of them."

Gordon Brown Daily Record 08/04/1993

The Labour Party have been committed to Scottish home rule since 1888, have been in Government for 21 years (at time of writing), and have failed to deliver Scottish devolution.

The Labour Party have retreated on their commitment to devolution on four major areas:

Assigned revenues for a Scottish Parliament.
Recognition of Scottish Sovereignty.
English Regional Devolution as a complementary commitment in answer to the "West Lothian Question"
The delivery of a Scottish Parliament without the delay of another referendum.

Detail

The Labour Party's Failure to Deliver Devolution

The Labour Party have spent almost 21 years in Government, yet they have failed to use this opportunity to deliver a Scottish Parliament - despite this being a manifesto commitment for all but 16 of their 108 years.

1888 - Keir Hardie first pledged the Labour Party's support for home rule in an election address. -The Scottish Labour Party was founded with Scottish Home rule as a fundamental aim.
1918 - The Labour Party went into the General Election with Scottish Home third priority on their manifesto - above housing, pensions and education.
1923 - The first Scottish Constitutional Convention (comprised of Labour & Liberal MPs) was formed. - The "West Lothian Question" first raised its head under the guise "Churchill's English Problem".
1924 - A Labour Government proposed the first bill for Scottish Home Rule. This was talked out of Parliament and so fell.
1927 -The Labour Party proposed (on behalf of the Scottish National Convention) a bill for Scottish Home Rule. It was talked out of Parliament to make way for a debate on "Bugs, Fleas & Vermin".
1929 -Home Rule falls to 63 out of 63 priorities on Labour's manifesto.
1945 - Labour gain majority Government, Home Rule vanishes from their election manifesto.
1958 - Labour formally ditch any commitment to Scottish Home Rule.
1970 - Labour's delegation to the Crowther/Kilbrandon Commission on the Constitution states - "The Scottish Labour Party would actually prefer a Tory UK Government to a Labour controlled Scottish Parliament".
1974 - Labour bow to SNP pressure, and re-introduce devolution to their manifesto.
1979 - Rebel Labour MPs unite with the votes of the opposition to pass the "40% rule" which deprived Scotland of a Parliament after the referendum (despite a vote in favour).
1992 The Labour Party pledge that a Scottish parliament will "be along in a tick".

The Labour Party's Diminishing Commitment To Devolution

Since the inaugural meeting of the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989, the Labour Party have progressively retreated on their commitment to a Scottish Parliament, until, after contradiction upon contradiction, their pledge to deliver a Scottish Parliament appears no closer than it was 100 years ago. Labour's backtracking can be traced through four fundamental issues.

1- Assigned Revenues

In their publication "Towards A Scotland's Parliament" (November 1990), the Constitutional Convention proposed that Scottish expenditure should be paid for by assigning all Scottish income tax, and if possible all Scottish VAT to a Scottish Parliament:

"The Convention scheme recognises the importance of stability and the advantages of forward planning . We therefore propose that a significant proportion of Scotland's annual expenditure should take the form of assigned revenues passed as of right to the Scottish Parliament. In this category we would include income tax collected from those living in Scotland and the proceeds of Value Added Tax paid in Scotland."

By March 1995, the Labour Party had abandoned the principle that a Scottish Parliament should have the right to determine how revenues raised in Scotland were spent, and in their document "A Parliament for Scotland, Labour's Plan" proposed that a Scottish Parliament be dependent on a block grant from Westminster:

"The principle of pooling resources of the country, from wherever or however they are obtained ...... will continue. Scotland will receive a share of the UK tax revenues to bring the Parliament's budget up to our assessed needs."

The Constitutional Convention's "Key Proposals for Scotland's Parliament" (October 1995) accepted Labour's retreat from assigned revenues to block grant financing:

"Scotland will continue to be guaranteed her fair share of UK resources, as of right. The current formula for the calculation of government expenditure in Scotland - the Barnett formula will continue to be used as the basis for the allocation of Scotland's fair share of UK resources."

2- Scottish Sovereignty

At their first meeting in March 1989, the Scottish Constitutional Convention adopted the following declaration of Scottish sovereignty:

"we, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish People" (Towards Scotland's Parliament, November 1990).

In his latest statement (27/6/96), George Robertson revealed that the Labour Party were prepared to deny this fundamental commitment to Scottish Sovereignty:

"The UK Parliament of course remains sovereign, but the essence of devolution is that for the better government of our country, certain powers are passed on to an elected Scottish Parliament. That is what devolution means - that all Westminster MPs decide that they should exercise some of their powers relating to Scottish affairs by devolving them to a parliament set up by them for that purpose. And it follows from that that the devolution legislation will explicitly recognise the fact of Parliamentary sovereignty."

In his speech in Edinburgh on 28 June 1996 Tony Blair confirmed the Labour Party's denial of the sovereignty of the Scottish people:

"This plan - a referendum in both Scotland and Wales before legislation is passed, specific endorsement of the principle of revenue powers for Scotland a clear statement in the Bill of the sovereignty of parliament and a re-examination of the electoral system to be used for the Welsh Assembly - will give us a strengthened package of devolution which can be delivered and established quickly in government."

3- The West Lothian Question & Regional Assemblies In England

In July 1995, the Labour Party's consultation document on English regional government ended their commitment to the policy of matching devolution in Scotland and Wales with elected assemblies in England - their solution to the West Lothian Question:

"The answer to the West Lothian question is the fact that our constitutional plans are not confined to Scotland and Wales. It will also embrace regional government in England, and that's a firm commitment too" (George Robertson, Scotland on Sunday, 8 January 1995).

George Robertson abandoned the policy in July 1995, and along with it Labour's answer to the question of Scottish MP's voting on English legislation while English MP's have no right to vote on purely Scottish matters decided by a proposed assembly in Edinburgh:

"This was never designed to be an answer to the West Lothian Question" (George Robertson, on Labour's devolution policy for the English regions, BBC Radio Scotland, 20 July 1995).

Labour now have no answer to the West Lothian Question, other than to dismiss it as a mere anomaly.

4- A Referendum

Since 1992, the Labour Party been committed to legislating for a Scottish Parliament within one year of government. Different Labour spokespeople have repeatedly made assurances to the Scottish people through the media that the result of the next general election will be the mandate for a devolved Scottish Parliament:

George Robertson: "We have no proposals for a referendum because we want to legislate early and quickly for this outstanding commitment, and that is clear party policy." (Scotland On Sunday, 11 Feb 1996)

George Robertson: "there is no question of the Labour Party supporting calls for a referendum on a Scottish Parliament. The will of the people is behind the scheme and they will vote in that way in the election. Tam Dalyell is the only one of our 49 MPs who holds these views. He is becoming an isolated and lonely figure on this subject." (Herald 12 Feb 1996)

George Robertson: "I think that people have gone through that debate. The debate is over. We will legislate if we get a majority for a Scottish Parliament which will be up and running as quickly as possible and it will be the most important component in a modern Union" (Scotsman 12 Feb 1996)

George Robertson: "We won in 1979. A majority Scots voted for it [devolution]. We're not worried. The majority is there. It was there in 1979. The main thing is to get our democracy." (Scotsman 12 Feb 1996)

On 27 June 1996, George Robertson claimed to have made the case for a referendum to Tony Blair on 14 March 1996, yet only four days before, on STV's Scottish Voices he said that :"The General election will be the referendum".

"Labour has said that the proposals put forward at the general election will give the mandate needed for devolution in Scotland and Wales, making a referendum unnecessary." (Peter MacMahon, Scotsman 13 November 1995)

"What is intriguing is that the rest of Britain appears quite happy that the Scots democratic aspirations should be fulfilled, particularly if devolution is voted for in a referendum - an option not being offered by the Labour Party". (Peter MacMahon, Scotsman 11 Sept 1995)

When Alex Salmond attacked the Labour party's commitment to devolution after Labour whip Ray Powell MP indicated that he thought that a referendum should precede devolution, George Robertson MP said: "the SNP is, as usual, clutching at straws. The referendum will be the general election, when there will be clear alternatives on offer." (Kenny Farquharson, Scotland On Sunday 18 June 1995)

"Labour insists that achieving a Scottish Parliament is the "settled will" of the Scottish voters. A Labour Government he [George Robertson] says, will not hold a referendum." (Peter Jones, Scotsman 21 Feb 1996)

"Labour said this [lack of provision for a referendum] was because the Welsh assembly and the Scottish Parliament would be specific election manifesto issues which voters would decide on by their choice of party." (Peter MacMahon, Scotsman 21 July 1995)

"Shadow Scottish Secretary George Robertson ..... said that there was no intention of holding a referendum. 'The Party is united on this issue' he maintained." (Bill Greig Daily Express 12 Feb 1996)

"Ruling out a referendum if Labour took control at the next election, Shadow Scottish secretary George Robertson said: 'we will legislate for a Scottish parliament which will be up and running as quickly as possible.'" (David Hughes, Daily Mail, 12 Feb 1996)