Share and share alike
Bit more re the Queen鈥檚 Speech or, rather, its impact in Scotland. Scottish ministers have now signalled their readiness to 鈥淪ewel鈥 elements of the programme.
That means they鈥檒l ask MSPs to agree that Westminster can legislate, by agreement, in certain limited devolved areas
(Sewel, of course, refers to the redoubtable Lord Sewel who first advanced this consensual concept while a minister in the erstwhile Scottish Office).
Anyway, Bruce Crawford, the minister for parliamentary business, has indicated he backs a Sewel approach to: reforms to the regulation of health care professions; a new framework for targets in reducing carbon emissions; and transferring cash from dormant bank accounts to the public benefit.
He may also support a Sewel for elements of the Education and Skills Bill. Not the measure itself (see earlier blog) - but the concomitant issue of gathering data on how teenagers are progressing with their education/training. That鈥檚 being discussed.
Which tells us two things.
One, that SNP ministers remain prepared to co-operate - where necessary - with Westminster.
And, vice versa, that detailed information re the Westminster plans has been shared behind the scenes with officials in Scotland in order to enable Scottish ministers to offer such a prompt verdict.
Personally, I regard the second element as more significant. It is in the declared interest of SNP ministers to act consensually.
But there have been problems with the sharing of information between civil servants in Whitehall and Edinburgh because they are now serving different and competing political masters.
Today鈥檚 development, minor in itself, would appear to indicate that these problems can be surmounted. That, of course, is helped by the fact that the Queen鈥檚 Speech was explicitly outlined in advance in draft form by the UK Government.
The key requirement for co-operation in tense circumstances. No surprises.
I'm 
Comments
Dear Brian,
The non sharing issue is set to get
worse, take the "private water supply" do you think that Westminister will be pleased to find
out that Perth & Kinross Council are
being dictated too by Landlords?
Perth & Kinross Council are failing
to enforce EU law regarding contaminated water, furthermore, one
R Cunningham, refuses to speak with
her constituents on the subject.
Cunningham, has a way with her constituents, she ignors them, she
refuses to give appointments to her
constituents, she refuses to give out
her surgery times, and if you are clever enough to get them from the paper, she says all appointments have
been taken, that is on the same day
as the paper is published.
Why do Scottish people put up with type of behaviour? I have arrived from England, and what I find is quite an eye opener, I watch Hollyrood with disbelife, that Wendy
woman, is she for real? to ask the same question four times,no wonder
Alex was laughing, if this is the level of intelligence, its no wonder
the likes of Cunningham can ignore
her constituents.
What is going to happen when someone
takes one of the Councils to court
for failing to enforce EU Law on the
"private water supply"? Do you think
Westminster is going to foot the bill
again and pay the fine? I think not!
Gordon Brown MP is wrestling with this problem, therefore, Westminster
are going to be ahead of this game,
therefore Brian, can you put the likes of Cunningham on the spot and get her to answer questions on this matter, as she is refusing to speak with ourselves.
Regards
Gilbert.
Gordon Brown must realise that playing fast and loose with Scotland鈥檚 SNP Government may well mean that Scots voters could play fast and loose with that most precious of Gordon鈥檚 treasures, Labour Westminster Members of Parliament.
How long will it be before the weakness in the Scottish Parliament, Wendy Alexander is seen for what she really is, an argumentative failing politician; contrary to that well known phrase about going and tough; Wendy is most likely to head for the hills when the going gets tough.
Communications need not always be carried out in the public鈥檚 gaze, although accountability demands that record be kept; having witnessed the dealings on compensations for farmers vis-脿-vis the latest foot and mouth outbreaks proved where right lay if it did not settle the outcome; I鈥檓 sure that both the Scottish and Westminster Governments will now be meticulous in their record keeping.
One of the main problems in such a set up where co-operation needs to exist at Civil Service level will be the inbred arrogance of London鈥檚 Civil Servants; if they try to play their usual London-centric game this will all end in tears.
I fully accept this will not be a meeting of equals, however their interfaces needs to be seen and treated as such.
Westminster is quite happy to share with us, as long as we are not treating them as 'the enemy'. Which the SNP are doing, even though civil servgants are not. But the SNP are trying to use us in an increasingly politicised way, and that's unfair to the civil service. We're supposed to be politically neutral. However, it seems to be beyond Salmond and Co to comprehend this.
Brian,
What exactly qualifies as a dormant account? Are they going to access accounts belonging to the public? How long must it have been dormant for them to access the money?
As all accounts gain interest, none are truly dormant. If they are accessing dormant accounts belonging to the public, then they are stealing... no? Well that's what the police would charge me with if I took someone's bank account. What if they take someone's dormant account and then years down the line someone wants their cash... which they have stolen?
PS - if they are talking about dormant government accounts then fine but I have found nowhere that states what dormant accounts they are speaking of or what qualifies as a dormant account.
#3
The SNP are using the Civil Service entirely properly and appropriately in the best interests of the governance of Scotland.
Where there is a divergence between Scottish interests and those of London, the SNP are looking after Scottish interests, which is entirely correct, in line with the nature of devolved politics, and the reason why they were elected to represent the Scottish people 鈥 as opposed to the previous administration who simply buckled under London鈥檚 will at every turn.
Those who misrepresent the SNP鈥檚 actions in government as being 鈥榩oliticised鈥 are largely those of a unionist persuasion, who lost May鈥檚 election and who themselves have a political axe to grind.