“Behind the flummery the King’s Speech contains clear threats to Scotland’s political and economic status.”
This was said by former First Minister, Alex Salmond, re-acting to Labour’s first King’s Speech for 14 years.
“The King’s Speech seems harmless enough.
“However, reading between the lines, there are clear potential threats to Scotland.
“The “Council of the Nations and the Regions” looks innocuous but could be a move to devalue the national status of the devolved Parliaments.
“It has been a long standing London Labour ambition to conflate English regional devolution with the national and legislative status of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“No self-respecting First Minister of any persuasion of any nation would have previously allowed it.
“However, simultaneous political weakness of the Scottish and Welsh governments presents London Labour their opportunity.
“If that is what emerges from the detail of this Council then it should be resisted at all costs.
“Scotland is a nation not a region, a country not a county.
“Similarly a “Great British Energy” headquartered in Scotland will be of little consolation if it takes any control of Scotland’s vast energy resources and deposits tens of thousands of oil and gas workers in the dole.
“Scotland has well over 50 per cent of the UK’s potential renewable wealth.
“We would be daft to see that reduced to less than 10 per cent.
“Finally I welcome the proposed “duty of candour” for public authorities – not before time”
