Calman plans still fail to include Scottish public

For immediate release 12 May 2010

Today's announcement that the new Tory-LibDem coalition will implement the recommendations of the Calman Commission is, according to the Scottish Greens, another decision made without reference to the wishes of the Scottish people. (1) Greens support the transfer of more powers to Holyrood, but believe that the right process for this would be through a revived Constitutional Convention instead. This would enable the Scottish public and civic society to help design the next stage of the devolution process, and for the options drawn up through this process should then be put to a referendum.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

"The Calman plans, never endorsed by the Scottish people, are a mere fig-leaf for the decision by the Lib Dems to deliver Scotland into the hands of a Tory-led administration this week. It's symptomatic that their plans for Scotland mean no public consultation, no referendum and no choice. An arbitrary list of regulatory powers, however important some may be, is no substitute for the coordinated devolution of the powers we need to build a fairer, freer and more sustainable Scotland.

"Sooner or later we will see a UK Government prepared to involve the Scottish public and civic society in a revived Constitutional Convention. We trust the people to pick the questions as well as the answers to our constitutional future, but sadly this view is apparently not shared by the Conservatives or the Lib Dems."