Entries for October 2014

In the month of November the Smith Commission is set to draw up the most significant programme of constitutional change for the United Kingdom since 1998. Already the period within which citizens could submit their views on this process has passed; the Commission having set a deadline of 5 p.m. on 31 October.

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The Smith Commission is considering what further powers might be devolved to Scotland. Lord Smith was appointed immediately after the independence referendum, following the joint statement made by the leaders of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties of ‘[p]ermanent and extensive new powers’ for the Scottish Parliament (‘The Vow’, Daily Record, 16 September 2014) in the event of a No vote.

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The Conservative party’s proposal to repeal the Human Rights Act (and their proposal’s many faults) has already been well documented. However, the European Union is just as much a target of indignation for conservative and other eurosceptics, and David Cameron has promised, if re-elected, an in-out referendum by 2017, if the terms of Britain's EU membership cannot be renegotiated.

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The Smith Commission is examining devolution of further powers to the Scottish Parliament, beyond those of the Scotland Act 2012. One topic it needs to consider is coordination between a devolved government and the United Kingdom and Scottish regulatory authorities, especially where these relate to economic growth.

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