Scotland should be given more political power within the United Kingdom to help see off the threat of independence, former prime minister Gordon Brown claimed today.
The ex-Labour leader said that the House of Lords should be replaced with a a Forum of the Nations and Regions that gives the constituent parts of the union a ‘stronger voice’ at Westminster.
Mr Brown was part of the Labour government of Tony Blair which handed out greater devolved powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland more than two decades ago, which many predicted at the time would open the door to breaking up the union.
He accused ministers today of a “devolve and forget” policy and warned that Britain risks becoming a ‘failed state’ unless it makes sweeping reforms.
His comments come after The Sunday Times published the results of opinion polls in the four nations of the UK, which found a majority of voters thought Scotland was likely to be independent in the next 10 years.
And Nicola Sturgeon branded Boris Johnson a coward as she threatened to hold a fresh independence referendum without his permission.
Mr Brown, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said the choice now was between ‘a reformed state and a failed state’ and urged Mr Johnson to launch a ‘democracy commission’ as previous efforts to bring Westminster and other nations together had been forgotten.
‘It will find that the United Kingdom urgently needs a Forum of the Nations and Regions that brings them and Mr Johnson together on a regular basis,’ he wrote.
‘No country can have national integration without political inclusion, and the commission might start by learning from the experience of countries like Australia, Canada, Germany and America where, partly because of British influence in times past, second chambers are senates of their regions, and minorities who can easily be outvoted are guaranteed a stronger voice.
Britain risks becoming a ‘failed state’ unless it makes reforms to the union, former prime minister Gordon Brown has warned
A poll in the Sunday Times shows indicates a vote for independence would have the backing of the Scottish people and that a referendum should be held in the next five years
‘But such a commission cannot be yet another case of an elite reviewing an elite, so the Prime Minister should complement the commission’s work by convening citizens’ assemblies in each region and nation so that he can listen to what the public are saying.’
He also called on the PM to use the Armed Forces and NHS to demonstrate the ‘everyday benefits’ of the union.
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman today said: ‘I think the Prime Minister would say that the UK is the most successful political and economic union that the world has ever seen and this pandemic and our collective response has shown that we are strongest when we work together towards a common goal.’
Mr Brown is one of the architects of the current political system in Scotland. He was chancellor when prime minister Tony Blair devolved powers to governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1999.
The three now enjoy a range of powers to set policy in areas such as health, education, transport and environment.
In 2002, Mr Blair’s government proposed bringing in elected regional assemblies for England with similar powers but the plan was rejected.
A Cabinet spokesman said the public in Scotland want to see the UK’s politicians ‘working in partnership to focus on defeating coronavirus’.
‘That remains the top priority of the UK Government, which has supported jobs and businesses across all four nations throughout the pandemic,’ he added.
‘The question of Scottish independence was settled decisively in 2014, when Scotland voted to remain part of the UK.
‘Now more than ever, we should be pulling together to strengthen our United Kingdom, instead of trying to separate it’.
The Sunday Times poll found that in Northern Ireland, 47 per cent still want to remain in the UK, with 42 per cent in favour of a United Ireland and a significant proportion – 11 per cent – undecided.
However, asked if they supported a referendum on a United Ireland within the next five years, 51 per cent said yes compared with 44 per cent who were against.
In Wales, where support for independence is traditionally weakest, 23 per cent still backed leaving the UK while 31 per cent supported a referendum.
Boris Johnson today slapped down Ms Sturgeon’s demands for a new Scottish independence referendum today, saying she should be totally focused on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister lashed out at Scotland’s First Minister after her Scottish National Party threatened to unilaterally call a new referendum on splitting up the United Kingdom.
Ms Sturgeon used an interview yesterday to claim Mr Johnson ‘fears the verdict and the will of the Scottish people’ and, ahead of Burns Night tonight, quoted one of his works to accuse the PM of being a ‘wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie’.
On a visit to a vaccination centre in north London today, Mr Johnson sidestepped a question about whether he would legally challenge Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for an advisory independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority in May’s Holyrood elections.
‘The whole UK is going through a pandemic, I think what the people of the UK want to see is everybody focusing on beating that pandemic, which we are, rolling out the vaccine, and getting ready to bounce back from that pandemic and have the strongest possible economic recovery,’ he said.
‘I think people also can see everywhere in the UK the visible benefits of our wonderful union.
‘A vaccine programme that is being rolled out by a National Health Service, a vaccine that was developed in labs in Oxford and is being administered by the British Army, so I think the strengths and advantages of the Union speak for themselves.’
Taking the Scottish Government to court over the holding of another independence referendum would not be a ‘good look’ for the UK Government, a senior Scottish minister said.
Mike Russell, Scotland’s Constitution Secretary and SNP president, told the BBC he hopes a court battle will not be necessary, adding: ‘We’re saying to the world: if the people of Scotland vote for something, they should get it – that’s unremarkable.
‘I think it’s such a bad look for any government to say ‘Even if the people of Scotland vote for something, we’ll take them to court to stop them’.
‘(It’s) not just the Government – that would essentially be taking the whole people of Scotland who voted for it to court.’
He also said he did not think the UK Government would take such action.
‘I think sense prevails, but it is quite fair that we say we intend to deliver that, so we’ll carry on with our referendum and if the UK Government wish to challenge that in court, they will have to challenge it and we will defend it,’ he said.
Mr Russell would not be drawn on what would happen if the UK Supreme Court rejected the referendum as unlawful.
There is no set timetable for the holding of a referendum laid out in the document, but it does say it must occur after the pandemic has ended.
Independence after the pandemic, Mr Russell said, would allow Scotland to better rebuild after the economic toll taken by Covid-19.
‘The connection with the pandemic is to make sure that Scotland rebuilds in the way it needs to rebuild for its future,’ he said.
‘That is what we need to do, focused on Scotland’s needs and Scotland’s priorities, not be treated in the way we have been treated over the last many years and particularly during Brexit – that is ignored.’
Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) is unveiling an 11-point roadmap to independence, including a Catalonia-style wildcat vote that would effectively force a drastic response from the Prime Minister to stop it and save the UK
A graphic shows how experts forecast a landslide victory for the SNP in May’s Scottish elections