Michael Gove’s “levelling up” White Paper is driven by brute politics.
Continue readingOnly a faltering step to levelling up
Health Inequalities A “Breach of Human Rights”. Time For a Shared UK Plan
One of Scotland’s leading clinicians has described the health inequalities between rich and poor as “a breach of human rights”, and calls today for a UK wide network to be established to tackle it. Professor David Kerr warns that the pandemic is likely to widen further the life expectancy gap between well off and deprived parts of the UK.
Continue readingThe Power of Positive Thinking
Today the House of Lords Constitution Commission has published a new report: “Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st Century.” While the report says the case for the Union remains strong, it does not mince its words in calling for change.
Continue readingPoll Backs Directly-Elected Provosts to Revive Local Democracy
The crisis in local democracy in Scotland is exposed in a poll which reveals that three-quarters of Scots are not confident they could name the leader of their local council. It also reveals the potential solution – the creation of directly-elected provosts to Scotland’s leading cities.
Continue readingAutonomy and Cooperation – Finding The Right Balance
“FULL fiscal autonomy would be a disaster for Scotland”. So Gordon Brown told an online Our Scottish Future audience of more than 300 people last week as he set out his vision for his nation as part of the United Kingdom.
Continue reading“Cooperation Can Make Scotland a Super-Power”
Gordon Brown used an online speech to Our Scottish Future yesterday evening to argue that deeper cooperation between Scotland and the rest of the UK can turn Scotland from a power to a “super-power” in in key growth industries of the future.
Continue readingCOP shows Scotland can host the Cup
Scotland’s successful staging of COP26 should be used to power ahead the UK wide bid to host 2030 World Cup, the Our Scottish Future campaign says today.
Set up to back fresh ideas for cooperation across the UK, OSF is calling on the four governments of the UK to “put rocket-boosters” under the attempt to football’s biggest tournament.
It follows the commitment by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to invest £11m in a World Cup feasibility study in his November budget.
Today, Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray offers his backing, saying that a successful bid would mean that “finally football can come to its true home – Scotland.”
Under the proposals, the four Home Nations plus the Republic of Ireland would come together to host the 2030 tournament, with matches being staged across the British Isles.
It is hoped that a successful bid would lead to the redevelopment of Hampden park which, along with Murrayfield, would be a potential venue for games held in Scotland.
Our Scottish Future’s campaigns director Eddie Barnes today says that the UK Government should use the COP26 event as evidence that all parts of the UK have the capacity and expertise to stage major global events.
He said: “The funding for a World Cup feasibility study by the Chancellor was a clear sign of our commitment in a joint World Cup bid. All four governments of the UK, plus Ireland, should show a united front in 2022 by giving their full backing to the bid too, and put rocket boosters under our plans.”
“A unique British Isles bid, bringing together five football associations, would be a model for the rest of the world to follow.”
“COP showed we have what it takes to host the Cup. The success of Glasgow in 2021 can be leveraged as evidence that Scotland and all parts of the UK can put on the greatest World Cup ever in 2030.”
Mr Murray said: “A successful home nations bid for the 2030 World Cup would be the biggest boost to Scottish football since the penalty shoot-out that sent us to Euro 2020.”
“During the Euros, both Hampden and Wembley played an important role in hosting some of the best matches of the tournament.
“Although it wasn’t perfect, COP26 showed that Glasgow, Scotland and UK can host the world.
“The Scottish and UK Governments should work together so that we can realise the dream of hosting the World Cup.
“And then finally, football can come to its true home – Scotland.”
Two Cheers for the Gove-ernor
Professor Jim Gallagher
Professor Jim Gallagher is a Visiting Professor at University of Glasgow, Honorary Professor at St Andrews University and an Associate Member of Nuffield College, Oxford.
It’s good when the penny finally drops, even years late. Mr Michael Gove has at last realised the people in England want government closer to them, and not distant and ineffective in Whitehall. He wants them to elect governors. This time, he’s got at least something right. Perhaps he’s been listening to experts.
People all across the towns and cities of northern England feel left behind and not listened to. They are right. England is the most geographically unequal and politically centralised country in Europe. They see the unacceptable economic inequality between North and South, and they distrust London government. That’s probably why many of them voted for Brexit, though their real beef was with London, not Brussels.
It’s no accident over-centralisation in London and economic injustice in the North go together. The regions of England have had no one to stand up for them politically, as power has become more and more centralised.
The UK’s central government and parliament is the least trusted in Europe, and it’s been getting worse. Maybe not surprising. But we know that people in England, where they have them, like metro mayors. They clearly feel that figures like Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, stand up for them, against London when need be. That’s just the same as in Scotland and Wales, where devolved government under both SNP and Labour has always been more trusted than central government.
So Mr Gove is onto something. Shame he didn’t get onto it before he got onto Brexit.
But there’s more to this than simply electing some more mayors. We need a plan for their powers. Even more important, we need to change central government so it can work with devolved power rather than fight with it. If not, we will just see a repeat of the problems between London and devolved governments in Cardiff and Edinburgh. And we also need a clear understanding the guarantees that the UK offers all its citizens, and how governments can cooperate, unlike they do today.
That’s where Mr Gove’s ideas fall well short. He hasn’t thought seriously about powers – notably what economic development powers will be exercised locally or regionally, and how they will be supported by central government. Levelling up won’t happen without resources.
And he hasn’t thought through the profound changes in central government and parliament that real devolution in England implies, and that devolution in Scotland and Wales already demands.
So only two cheers for the Gove-ernor, while we wait for a real plan with the resources behind it to transform the economic and political geography of the UK. And, for viewers in Scotland, develop a UK in whose skin a devolved nation can be wholly comfortable.
Cooperation not competition to support booster rollout
UK & Scottish government ministers should agree resource-sharing to deliver roll-out, and reopen mass vaccination centres.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has underlined the need for greater cooperation both globally and at home.
Our response must match the threat of the variant. The greater the risk, the greater the need for cooperation.
Unfortunately, we have already seen manufactured spats between our leaders – we have come too far to allow differences to dictate progress.
Greater cooperation between our two government’s would deliver greater results – and a failure to do so costs us dear.
Last year, research by Our Scottish Future has shown Scotland initially lagged behind in testing capability. Complex logistics also harmed the effectiveness of Test and Trace. We cannot allow this to happen again.
This means greater cooperation and coordination and less politics to improve results.
In the last few days, we are already seeing a breakdown in our systems. Reports have emerged today that centres have not yet operationally moved to the new JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) booster guidance which now permits a booster 3 months after their second vaccination.
As a result, people are being wrongly turned away despite having booked a booster – with some being told they need to wait 24 weeks, double the time of the new JCVI guidance
As a matter of urgency, our governments must strive to abolish the layers of bureaucracy between the JVCI guidance and vaccination centres, as every single person wrongly turned away weakens our defences against the pandemic.
To do so, we should also be reopening mass vaccination centres which allow people to walk in – eliminating a potential obstacle to vaccination, with both UK and Scottish Governments putting their hands to the wheel.
Any purported problems with staffing could be resolved by government’s sharing of resources, with health boards financially and logistically empowered by government.
It is not only operationally that we must improve. Entirely separate communication strategies to combat the same opponent only sows confusion and weakens our defences.
In our vaccine paper last year, we showed that over half of Scots were confused about what Covid guidance to follow, having been bombarded with different messages from different governments.
No one should be disadvantaged in vaccine or booster access because of where they live. There should be consistent standards and targets across the UK. We need to learn our previous lessons and consistently apply them. As the virus evolves so must our response.
This week began with a political spat and should end with an agreement on deeper cooperation.
Back ‘COPUK’ to Deliver Climate Neutral Scotland
The UK Government, devolved nations, and regional mayors should convene a ‘COPUK’ summit to accelerate the drive towards a carbon-neutral nation, Our Scottish Future is proposing today.
The call is supported today by former Scottish Green party leader Robin Harper and two of England’s metro mayors who are urging UK Ministers to bring together politicians from across the nation to agree a joined-up plan to slash emissions.
The UK Government, devolved nations, and regional mayors should convene a ‘COPUK’ summit to accelerate the drive towards a carbon-neutral nation, Our Scottish Future is proposing today.
The call is supported today by former Scottish Green party leader Robin Harper and two of England’s metro mayors who are urging UK Ministers to bring together politicians from across the nation to agree a joined-up plan to slash emissions.
An Our Scottish Future report last month found that carbon cuts in Scotland are stagnating and said deeper cooperation between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland was urgently required, including a new Office of Climate Responsibility.
Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham and the Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis today say a shared approach by all layers of government in the UK would help all parts of the nation.
Under the proposal, a ‘COPUK’ summit would agree a regulatory framework for the green transition and make sure UK spending is distributed equitably across the UK.
Mr Harper said: “The COP26 conference in Glasgow demonstrated once again that we cannot make change happen in the world without making it together. New global commitments on coal, on deforestation, and on support for developing nations have emerged in the last two weeks. They are all examples of nations laying aside their narrow self-interest to work for the common good.”
“We must ensure that this legacy is kept alive on our own shores over the coming months. None of the nations of the United Kingdom are currently doing enough to meet exacting targets to reduce carbon emissions. All of them – Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland – will only achieve their goals if they work in step – by bringing together expertise, finance, and resources to drive the green revolution.”
“We therefore call for a ‘COPUK’ to be staged within the next 12 months so that the UK Government, the devolved governments, and regional mayors can coordinate the historic step-change to a carbon neutral Britain.”
Mr Rotheram said: “Earlier this month, leaders from around the world came together at COP26 to try and chart our planet’s course toward net zero. Throughout those two weeks, the Prime Minister and government spoke a lot about co-operation and uniting in the face of the biggest threat any of us will ever face.”
“Today, we’re calling on the government to show that same spirit of common purpose by bringing together leaders from within the UK to help supercharge our own march to net zero. We should be setting an example for rest of the world to follow.”
“Mayors, councils and local leaders are at the forefront of the Green Industrial Revolution. COP UK would allow us all to put party politics aside and work together for the good of our planet. “
“I can think of nowhere better to host that conference than the Liverpool City Region. From large scale decarbonisation projects like Mersey Tidal Power and HyNet, to grassroots engagement and empowerment, we are showing the rest of the country how to take capture the public’s imagination while take meaningful action to save the environment.”
Mr Jarvis said: “To reach Net Zero we desperately need local decision-making backed up by a nation-wide strategy. Just as world leaders came together in Glasgow to set out plans for the world, we now need leaders across the UK to come together to map out a road to net zero for Britain.”
