Andrew Morrison works in Glasgow as qualified accountant, where he is a Conservative candidate for the city council elections.
Recently, the Scottish Parliament – better known as Holyrood – celebrated its tenth year of existence. Across the board, Scots are content that the establishment remains and the Conservatives have adjusted rather well to devolution in both Scotland and Wales – as the Conservatives’ topping the polls in Wales at the elections for the European Parliament showed.
Professor Kenneth Calman – a very highly respected, unaffiliated figure – chaired the Commission which was set up to redress the problems encountered in the first decade at Holyrood. The Commission made a strong case for Westminster taking some powers back, devolving some other powers away to Holyrood, and most definitely the case for closer co-operation rather than the ongoing petulance of both Labour and the Scottish Nationalists.
For just about everyone in the Union, the elephant in the room is the funding arrangements and the Barnett Formula. As a Conservative, I believe an organisation charged with the responsible job of representing the people has the responsibility to show it is spending the people’s money sensibly. My biggest criticism of the Scottish Parliament – one shared by others in the United Kingdom – is that the policies implemented by Members of the Scottish Parliament has no impact on the tax revenue received by them because it is supported by the UK-wide Treasury.
Likewise, there is no incentive to rejuvenate Scotland’s underperforming economy because that will not translate into a direct boost in tax revenue. The Economist once compared MSPs to ‘teenagers living on an allowance’ – a comparison I always found rather unfair on teenagers, because at least certain types of behaviour is expected from them for that allowance: nothing can be expected of MSPs for providing them with funds – the money must be handed over no matter what.
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