"Killing the Union with Kindness"

The Calman Commission was set up in response to growing anger over the injustice of the Barnett Formula coupled with demands from Scottish Nationalists for more powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Not surprisingly it has failed to satisfy either of these points of view.

Its eye-catching proposal of allowing the Scottish Parliament to vary tax rates by as much as 10p in the pound rather than the 3p variation currently allowed is nothing more than a "sleight of hand". Far from being replaced, the Barnett Formula is being retained as the means of deciding the amount of the Block Grant that the Scottish Parliament will continue to receive.

In other words, the funding disparity will continue, but with the deliberate intention of allowing politicians to pretend that Scotland is raising the money that it is spending.

Nobody is fooled, and the anger will continue to grow.

From 1888 onwards Westminster has had a deliberate policy of "Killing Home Rule with Kindness", lavishing money on both Ireland and Scotland. This policy clearly failed with Ireland, is clearly failing with Scotland - and yet the Calman Commission continues it.

And as ever, England is being ignored. The Govt needs urgently to consider Calman in the light of the statement by Alan Beith's Justice Committee that it is the governance of England that is the most important unfinished business arising from devolution.

The widespread disgust with our politicians shows the need for a complete democratic renewal. This must also take account of English concerns, which in turn will require English representation and an English Parliament.

If English opinion turns against the Union, do they think they will be able to "Kill Home Rule by Kindness" by bribing us with our own money?

David Wildgoose CEP Vice Chairman


No written constitution or any other major constitutional changes should be seriously discussed until the people of the United Kingdom have been given a chance by referendum to decide whether they want to stay in or come out of the European Union because that is fundamental to any decisions we have to make, and it effects the very existence of the nation state.