Lib Dems need to speak to Tories about Fiscal Autonomy

Scotsman: Lib Dems seek SNP deal

http://www.scotsman.com/news/Lib-Dems-seek-SNP-deal.6329080.jp

Tavish fears that his new coalition Government will prove as popular as poison with Scots voters so he obviously now wants to re-position himself and his party.

If the unionists set up a "no independence" group ie Calman then it cannot by definition be big enough for the SNP. It was in actual fact an attempt to undermine the SNP national conversation which was designed specifically to discuss all options for Scotland including fiscal autonomy (FA) and independence.

FA has been a logical SNP demand for years as a stepping stone to independence. Calman wanted to take powers back from Scots and provide some unusable powers in exchange (along with a few irrelevant ones).

The Liberal Democrats signed up for this deal with the devil. Scotland was never first in their priorities.

If more powers are on offer then we should take them but we should not give any back nor should we accept anything which ultimately weakens our position within the current set up.

If Tavish wants Fiscal Autonomy then the people he needs to convince are his new Tory pals. The SNP already have a lot more ambition for Scotland than he does or ever will.

Scotsman: Alastair Campbell's diaries: Cardinal attacked Blair 'in Papal bid'

http://www.scotsman.com/news/Alastair-Campbell39s-diaries-Cardinal-attacked.6329107.jp

Mr Campbell shows himself to be a bit of a plonker here. Not everyone is as obsessed with political power as him! Cardinal Winning would have said these things because he had principles and believed in them, something quite foreign to Labour. New Labour was ultimately a failure because it had no principles at heart and they therefore wasted their years in office.

Calman shows the limitations of British rule

Letter to the Editor
The Scotsman

11/06/2009

Sir,

So Sir Kenneth Calman's unionist commission has decided the future of
devolution. Rather than have a 3p rate that no-one wants to use, instead
we will get a 10p rate that no-one wants to use. What a visionary man
Sir Kenneth must be!

As we all know Calman's commission was set up by the unionist parties to
preserve the status quo. That is exactly what this proposal is intended
to achieve.

Is this is the best deal Britain can offer Scotland? If so it shows the
limitations of a continued union between three and a quarter countries
with very different political positions.

We Scots will eventually have a choice on the one logical option that
Calman has desperately tried to avoid. That choice is the normal
national and international powers of independence.

Calman's commission has proven that there is not one iota of national
pride or genuine Scottish interest in any of the British parties.

While this won't come as any shock to anyone, it will not stop the
ongoing rise of the SNP who are much clearer about the country whose
interests they represent.

Yours faithfully,

JOE MIDDLETON