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| Scottish referendum: UK parties fast-track new tax and welfare powers | Scottish referendum: UK parties fast-track new tax and welfare powers |
| (8 months later) | |
| The three largest UK political parties have pledged a fast-track deal on new tax and welfare powers for the Scottish parliament after facing a sharp surge in support for independence. | The three largest UK political parties have pledged a fast-track deal on new tax and welfare powers for the Scottish parliament after facing a sharp surge in support for independence. |
| In a deal endorsed by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, the package of powers would be agreed by late January and ready for the House of Commons to vote on immediately after the May 2015 general election. | |
| Potentially worth up to £13bn, it would include far greater income tax powers, and the potential devolution of control over housing benefit, the work programme and other taxes, including air passenger duty or capital gains tax. | Potentially worth up to £13bn, it would include far greater income tax powers, and the potential devolution of control over housing benefit, the work programme and other taxes, including air passenger duty or capital gains tax. |
| The high-speed legislative programme, unveiled on Monday night by former Labour leader Gordon Brown, has been agreed after three polls showed that next week's independence referendum is on a knife edge, sending shock waves through the no campaign. | |
| The latest poll, published by TNS, puts the yes vote at 38%, only one point behind no on 39%. A YouGov poll on Sunday gave the yes campaign its first lead at 51%, with a two-point gap over the no vote. | |
| As Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, asked Labour councils in England to fly the Scottish saltire flag in solidarity with the pro-UK campaign, senior yes campaigners branded the new fast-track timetable a panic measure. The extra powers came nowhere near the powers available under full independence. | As Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, asked Labour councils in England to fly the Scottish saltire flag in solidarity with the pro-UK campaign, senior yes campaigners branded the new fast-track timetable a panic measure. The extra powers came nowhere near the powers available under full independence. |
| Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of Yes Scotland, said: "The no campaign's empty talk of more powers smacks of utter panic and desperation as they lose their lead in the polls. The people of Scotland will not trust the Tories to deliver powers that fall far short of what they need." | Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of Yes Scotland, said: "The no campaign's empty talk of more powers smacks of utter panic and desperation as they lose their lead in the polls. The people of Scotland will not trust the Tories to deliver powers that fall far short of what they need." |
| Miliband appeared to undermine that spirit of consensus by insisting that the package belonged to Labour, to bolster his party's standing among wavering centre-left voters. "I make this commitment as leader of the Labour party: if we win the general election, we will move with utmost speed in our first Queen's speech to enact this legislation," he said. | Miliband appeared to undermine that spirit of consensus by insisting that the package belonged to Labour, to bolster his party's standing among wavering centre-left voters. "I make this commitment as leader of the Labour party: if we win the general election, we will move with utmost speed in our first Queen's speech to enact this legislation," he said. |
| "We will act as we did in 1997 when the incoming Labour government immediately delivered its promise of devolution. It is Scottish Labour who have drawn up a timetable and a plan for a new Scotland Act. A Labour government will deliver it." | "We will act as we did in 1997 when the incoming Labour government immediately delivered its promise of devolution. It is Scottish Labour who have drawn up a timetable and a plan for a new Scotland Act. A Labour government will deliver it." |
| But in a carefully choreographed joint press conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, the Scottish leaders of the pro-UK parties insisted the new powers were guaranteed, and would be negotiated jointly after a short, but intensive consultation period with Scottish civic groups on the precise package this winter. | But in a carefully choreographed joint press conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, the Scottish leaders of the pro-UK parties insisted the new powers were guaranteed, and would be negotiated jointly after a short, but intensive consultation period with Scottish civic groups on the precise package this winter. |
| Johann Lamont, the Scottish Labour leader, said: "We will have the opportunity to end the politics of grievance, to apply the talents and creativity of the people of Scotland to address the problems faced, rather than the politics of grievance where we look a those problems and blame someone else." | Johann Lamont, the Scottish Labour leader, said: "We will have the opportunity to end the politics of grievance, to apply the talents and creativity of the people of Scotland to address the problems faced, rather than the politics of grievance where we look a those problems and blame someone else." |
| "This will provide certainty, the certainty that the people of Scotland have clearly expressed the desire to have," said Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dem leader, offering to bring the SNP into the process. | "This will provide certainty, the certainty that the people of Scotland have clearly expressed the desire to have," said Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dem leader, offering to bring the SNP into the process. |
| "This is a strong plan that the people of Scotland can see and touch," said Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader. "This is the way we show how Scotland can have what it wants with full control over levers of powers [without] walking away from the strength and security of the UK." | "This is a strong plan that the people of Scotland can see and touch," said Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader. "This is the way we show how Scotland can have what it wants with full control over levers of powers [without] walking away from the strength and security of the UK." |
| The parties are, however, refusing to set out what the precise package will be until after the negotiations – an omission that yes campaigners will seize on. | The parties are, however, refusing to set out what the precise package will be until after the negotiations – an omission that yes campaigners will seize on. |
| Labour, which has been given a dominant role in this process after the polls showed several hundred thousand Labour voters were switching to yes, has put forward the least ambitious package. | Labour, which has been given a dominant role in this process after the polls showed several hundred thousand Labour voters were switching to yes, has put forward the least ambitious package. |
| In a package worth about £18.5bn, Labour wants Holyrood to control just 15p in the pound on income tax as well as all housing benefits and attendance allowance, worth some £2.2bn, while the Tories and Lib Dems want to give Scotland total control over all Scottish income tax rates, as well as other taxes including air passenger duty. Their tax and benefits proposals see Holyrood control between £11bn and £13bn. | In a package worth about £18.5bn, Labour wants Holyrood to control just 15p in the pound on income tax as well as all housing benefits and attendance allowance, worth some £2.2bn, while the Tories and Lib Dems want to give Scotland total control over all Scottish income tax rates, as well as other taxes including air passenger duty. Their tax and benefits proposals see Holyrood control between £11bn and £13bn. |
| Davidson said Labour had been given the dominant role because it had taken a lead in privately brokering this package with the Tories and Lib Dems. "The Labour party has been working incredibly hard to bring us all together to have this delivery plan," he said. | Davidson said Labour had been given the dominant role because it had taken a lead in privately brokering this package with the Tories and Lib Dems. "The Labour party has been working incredibly hard to bring us all together to have this delivery plan," he said. |
| Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, is understood to have played a key role in brokering the deal. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "People can now go to the polls next week knowing that you can have change, a sense of progress and momentum for Scotland, but without all of the risks and uncertainties. | Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, is understood to have played a key role in brokering the deal. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "People can now go to the polls next week knowing that you can have change, a sense of progress and momentum for Scotland, but without all of the risks and uncertainties. |
| "What we saw yesterday, with one opinion poll, was £2bn-worth of value wiped off Scottish companies' shares. That's real people's pensions that will affect real people's jobs. | "What we saw yesterday, with one opinion poll, was £2bn-worth of value wiped off Scottish companies' shares. That's real people's pensions that will affect real people's jobs. |
| "Actually, I think that therefore, as we move towards the decision next week, people can know that Scotland can make progress, we can protect our hospitals, protect our doctors, but not with all the risks of separation." | "Actually, I think that therefore, as we move towards the decision next week, people can know that Scotland can make progress, we can protect our hospitals, protect our doctors, but not with all the risks of separation." |
| Miliband urged English towns across the country to fly the saltire in a plea for Scotland to stay. | Miliband urged English towns across the country to fly the saltire in a plea for Scotland to stay. |
| Visiting Liverpool, where the Labour council will raise the Scottish flag above the city hall, he said: "We want to see the saltire flying above buildings all across our country. | Visiting Liverpool, where the Labour council will raise the Scottish flag above the city hall, he said: "We want to see the saltire flying above buildings all across our country. |
| "We are starting here in Liverpool by raising the saltire to show we achieve fairness, equality and social justice better together than we do apart. | "We are starting here in Liverpool by raising the saltire to show we achieve fairness, equality and social justice better together than we do apart. |
| "People across this country care about inequality wherever we find it … In the final days of this referendum we will campaign night and day to preserve the United Kingdom and we will do that with a message from all parts of the United Kingdom – that we are better together." | "People across this country care about inequality wherever we find it … In the final days of this referendum we will campaign night and day to preserve the United Kingdom and we will do that with a message from all parts of the United Kingdom – that we are better together." |