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Smith Commission submission

My comments, on the proposed further powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, are informed by a local government career in community development and citizen participation.

The Smith Commission on more powers for the devolved Scottish Government has invited contributions from political parties, civic organisations and the general public. This is my own personal submission.

"In brief, my experience has shown that one the one hand communities are able to organise and to take responsibilities for local projects and services, and to contribute to policy development; and on the other hand that local and national government have yet to successfully support citizen participation and devolution of power, in spite of all their policies for consultation, citizen engagement, decentralisation, etc.

The reawakening of political engagement during the referendum process and the promise of increased powers for the Scottish Government is a unique opportunity to build a more participative democracy and to give Scots a degree of self determination that will allow them to deliver services, welfare and economic development in a way that reflects our different values and priorities.

Consequently, I support maximum devolution of powers to the Scottish Government, typically described as everything except defence and foreign policy. I would like to see this tied to local government improvements along the lines of COSLA's Strengthening Local Democracy report.

I think maximum devolution should happen as soon as possible within the present UK framework (ie with Barnett and Scots MPs at Westminster)  in order to maximise the engagement of Scottish citizens and to respond to the very large proportion of Scots who wants this; and then take time to look at the development of parliaments in the other UK nations and to eventually agree a UK constitution within which each nation can develop their own constitution. If this doesn't happen there will be a clamour for another referendum with all the disruption and animosity this is likely to engender."

Taking the opportunities of an independent Scotland

I have a friend, with whom I'm discussing the independence referendum, who supports many of the arguments for a 'yes' vote and yet is inclined to vote 'no'.  His position is that independence isn't essential and that too much support for it is based on only a belief that it will be a better thing.  This latter point is based on a fear of the SNP's aspiration for independence at any cost and it's elements who are little different from UKIP in their attitudes to the wider world.

My response to him is contained in what follows and I think it is important, with the possibility of a 'yes' win, that we start to discuss more widely how we will proceed, hence my going public with this blog.

I have to concede that independence isn't essential but it is an option which offers a real possibility of closing the yawning democratic deficit and geographical imbalance experienced in Scotland.  We do have to face up to the extreme nationalist views of UKIP and some SNP, but we'll have to do that whatever the referendum outcome.  In a broader sense these extreme views are a symptom of all that's bad about politics (centralism, media focus, corruption, combativeness, etc).  What is really exciting for me is the possibility that we can change this too, through building a more community based politics (with the kick start of the re-politicisation of people through the indyref campaigns, esp young people) and and a more consensual politics.  If Alex Salmond is serious about his Team Scotland approach, including  diverse views in the post Yes negotiations and constitutional development, then we're off to a flying start here too. And perhaps we can have a constitution that is not only focused on separatism. This kind of progress is not going to happen across the UK in the foreseeable future - that is why I'm voting 'yes'.

With the benefit of voices like Lesley Riddoch's and Colin Kirkwood's  having already set the agenda, with COSLA's Strengthening Local Democracy report on a more localised government structure already published, and with social media showing that many people support such views, then I think we can be optimistic about creating a new politics after the referendum.  Just so long as we do not all go back home and allow the political parties to regroup as they were before.

Finally it would be good to know about other voices who are publishing thoughts on these matters and to share them widely.