Goldie: Scotland Bill will make devolution work better

Speaking in today's debate on the recently published Scotland Bill, Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said (check against delivery):

Presiding Officer – this is an important debate. It marks a watershed in the life of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scotland Bill – as unveiled on St Andrew's Day; reflects the deep-thinking and thorough process culminating in the Calman Commission report. The bill will set the direction of this Parliament for the rest of the decade and beyond.

It is not a tweak and tinker, this is not merely an MOT – it is a road map for our future. It is the direction of travel wanted by the great majority of people in Scotland, and wanted overwhelmingly by this Parliament.

It is no coincidence that as the three unionist parties have come together to make devolution work better, support for independence has hit a historic low.

Let's be very clear – we have settled the Constitutional Question: Devolution has won.

I am a proud Scot and a committed Unionist. This legislation, this transfer of powers, will not only benefit Scotland but will also strengthen the Union.

This Bill – and the report which preceded it – were conceived by Scots, for Scots and for the strength of Scotland within the United Kingdom.

It is no mean feat to have brought together the three main UK parties – even the original Scotland Act didn't do that!

And the SNP's attitude towards the Calman commission is a matter of deep regret. Time after time they were given the opportunity to participate, to contribute and to debate the proposals. At all stages, the invitation to get involved, to shape the future, was extended in good faith.

At all stages it was rebuffed.

The SNP are outside the political mainstream. They resented that the Calman Commission was the will of this Scottish Parliament. They cried foul when the bill was published and while they could align themselves today with this Parliament and with Scotland – they have shown that they will not.

This Nationalist minority government has run away from every opportunity to shape Scotland's future. Alex Salmond took Independence off the agenda. John Swinney secretly mothballed its tax raising powers.

Both are lost in the ideological, dogmatic fights of the past – when Scotland has moved on. I hope Alex Salmond continues to fight on this ground during the Scottish Parliamentary election as it will be a fitting political epitaph. 'Here lies one who didn't like the answer to his national conversation'. NO! N – O.

The Scotland Bill heralds a new era – From now on, the debate will not be about the powers Scotland has, but about how those powers are used.

And let's look at what those powers involve.

Real fiscal accountability – this Parliament will now have to think about how it raises money, not just how it spends it. That is a crucial discipline, the absence of which has weakened political responsibility and accountability.

This Parliament will now have a real financial stake in the success of the Scottish economy.

These powers offer a huge opportunity for the Scottish Conservatives. We are the party that froze council tax bills - cutting them in real terms - and reduced small business rates. Now we have the opportunity to argue for tax competition within the UK – to encourage and reward the Scottish entrepreneurial spirit that will return this country to prosperity. To grow our private sector and rebalance our economy.

There has been a wide debate over many years with diverse ideas feeding into each party's discussion and into the Calman submissions themselves. Yes, there are those who worry about devolution and who have no desire to move it out of the current limbo. It is that very atrophy that is dangerous to the Union. So too there are those who argue that full fiscal autonomy is the only way forward. But after years of scrutiny and of evidence, the broad consensus across the parties, across the Parliament and across the country is that this is the way forward.

David Cameron and the coalition government pledged to act on Calman and they have delivered and I support this legislation.

However, because of its importance, because of its scope and impact, it must be scrutinised in detail in Committee. That is entirely right.

We must ensure that we find the best way of implementing the financial provisions. We must properly examine the proposed new powers for the Parliament and for individual ministers both here and in Westminster. These are the practical issues which must be looked at.

But for today the questions are simple.

Do we - as a parliament – want to move ahead following the roadmap set out by the Calman Commission and the Scotland Bill?

In doing so, do we want to strengthen devolution and safeguard the Union?

Do we want to embrace greater tax responsibilities – so that fiscal responsibility goes along with spending power?

Presiding Officer , my answer – Scotland's answer - is a resounding Yes.

Over the last three years, the cross-party, cross-border initiative which created the Calman Commission has led to this bill. The three unionist parties north and south of the border have worked hard to get to this point. Why? So that we could look beyond party politics, set aside our differences, and work for the future benefit of Scotland.

Even now, it is not too late for the SNP to put their partisan tub-thumping behind them and join us in supporting the principles of the Scotland bill.

I am proud to support this bill.

It will strengthen the union. It will make devolution work better. It responds to the wishes of the Scottish people and – if used properly - will allow us to make Scotland a more dynamic and prosperous place.

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