'Vow Plus Plus'
I had to laugh when I read this article in The Times about Gordon Brown (a part-time MP) riding to the rescue of the Union, one again.
Now I thought when the three party 'Vow' was issued last year, on the eve of Scotland's independence referendum, that the country was guaranteed 'home rule' by virtue of this pelage and the subsequent world of the Smith Commission.
But no, it seems that Gordon'd work is not done even though he's not standing at the general election (thank God) and won't be at Westminster to develop what Scottish Labour is apparently calling a 'Vow Plus'.
Well whatever it is this 'pledge/promise/vow/vow plus' doesn't sound much like home rule to me, so I think I'll just hold out for the 'Vow Plus Plus' which is sure to come along after the general election is out of the way.
Brown vows to save Labour once again
BY Lindsay McIntosh - The Times
Gordon Brown has shattered any Unionist consensus around more powers for Holyrood, saying yesterday that draft legislation did not go far enough and outlining plans for greater control over welfare.
The former prime minister opened Labour up to accusations that it was making up policy on the hoof after he announced plans for benefits devolution beyond that recommended by the cross-party Smith Commission.
Mr Brown, architect of the Vow promising greater powers to Holyrood in the event of a No vote, which was signed by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband before the independence referendum, is blamed by Alex Salmond for the SNP’s defeat in September.
Yesterday, appearing in Edinburgh with Jim Murphy, the new Scottish Labour leader, Mr Brown unveiled a “Vow Plus”, offering greater welfare devolution to Holyrood.
The plan includes the power to vary welfare benefits and create others, fully devolve housing benefit and devolve welfare to local communities, giving the Scottish parliament £35 billion to spend.
Mr Brown said that it was time for Labour to build on the vow, which was “a starting point, not the end point”. Speaking at the venue where George Osborne ruled out sharing sterling last year if Scotland said yes to independence, he said: “We can have weaker or stronger versions of it and today I want to join Jim in proposing changes that will make the Scottish parliament stronger.”
The speech sparked a furious reaction from the other Unionist parties who had signed up to the Smith Commission. Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, accused Labour of “making it up as they go along”.
“In the Smith Commission they were the most cautious on transferring welfare powers to the Scottish parliament. We had to work hard to convince them of the merit of creating a £3 billion Scottish welfare system,” he said.
“Within weeks of agreeing this radical package they now claim it’s not enough. The reality is that there is not much new in their proposals.”
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said: “Gordon Brown is yanking the Labour party back to the bad old days of high tax, high spending and high borrowing that crashed the economy in the first place. Most Scots understand that it’s better to have a job and be bringing home a wage to your family than to be parked on welfare under the Labour state.”
The SNP also mocked Mr Brown’s intervention, saying that his party was panicking after recent “disastrous poll ratings”.
Stewart Hosie, the SNP deputy leader, said: “Last month Labour tried to tell people that the vow had been delivered and there should be no more discussion of further powers for Scotland. Today, as more and more back the SNP ahead of the coming election, Labour have been dragged along in Scotland’s wake.”
Ed Miliband ventured north to Glasgow yesterday to announce that if Labour win the general election, then he will introduce a 'Home Rule' bill for Scotland.
General Election 2015: Labour's Ed Miliband 'not focusing' on doing SNP deal
SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie said: "Trying to claim that this is Home Rule could be reported under the Trade Descriptions Act for being completely untrue.
"Recently, Lewis MacDonald MSP specifically denied that Labour had ever talked about 'Home Rule', which renders the claims of Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy laughable.
"People in Scotland don't believe Ed Miliband - who has achieved the extraordinary feat for a Labour leader of having even worse poll ratings in Scotland than the Tory Prime Minister.
"The way to achieve the real powers of Home Rule is to vote SNP in May, for a strong team of SNP MPs holding the balance of power at Westminster."
All three main Westminster parties have pledged to ensure the new Scotland Bill becomes law, whoever wins the general election in May.
Last week the prime minister confirmed the legislation in the Smith commission's proposals would be in a Conservative government's first queen's speech if it forms the government after May's election
But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said UK ministers would get a veto on Scottish powers in key areas.
Gordon Brown has shattered any Unionist consensus around more powers for Holyrood, saying yesterday that draft legislation did not go far enough and outlining plans for greater control over welfare.
The former prime minister opened Labour up to accusations that it was making up policy on the hoof after he announced plans for benefits devolution beyond that recommended by the cross-party Smith Commission.
Mr Brown, architect of the Vow promising greater powers to Holyrood in the event of a No vote, which was signed by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband before the independence referendum, is blamed by Alex Salmond for the SNP’s defeat in September.
Yesterday, appearing in Edinburgh with Jim Murphy, the new Scottish Labour leader, Mr Brown unveiled a “Vow Plus”, offering greater welfare devolution to Holyrood.
The plan includes the power to vary welfare benefits and create others, fully devolve housing benefit and devolve welfare to local communities, giving the Scottish parliament £35 billion to spend.
Mr Brown said that it was time for Labour to build on the vow, which was “a starting point, not the end point”. Speaking at the venue where George Osborne ruled out sharing sterling last year if Scotland said yes to independence, he said: “We can have weaker or stronger versions of it and today I want to join Jim in proposing changes that will make the Scottish parliament stronger.”
The speech sparked a furious reaction from the other Unionist parties who had signed up to the Smith Commission. Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, accused Labour of “making it up as they go along”.
“In the Smith Commission they were the most cautious on transferring welfare powers to the Scottish parliament. We had to work hard to convince them of the merit of creating a £3 billion Scottish welfare system,” he said.
“Within weeks of agreeing this radical package they now claim it’s not enough. The reality is that there is not much new in their proposals.”
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, said: “Gordon Brown is yanking the Labour party back to the bad old days of high tax, high spending and high borrowing that crashed the economy in the first place. Most Scots understand that it’s better to have a job and be bringing home a wage to your family than to be parked on welfare under the Labour state.”
The SNP also mocked Mr Brown’s intervention, saying that his party was panicking after recent “disastrous poll ratings”.
Stewart Hosie, the SNP deputy leader, said: “Last month Labour tried to tell people that the vow had been delivered and there should be no more discussion of further powers for Scotland. Today, as more and more back the SNP ahead of the coming election, Labour have been dragged along in Scotland’s wake.”
What a Plonker! (30 January 2015)
Now my immediate thought was 'What a plonker the man is!' because Labour's position is that 'home rule' has already been delivered by the Smith Commission.
In which case why do we need further legislation, especially if as Ed claims home rule already exists?
Add to that the fact that the Labour Party doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning an outright majority at Westminster in May and you can see that the Labour leader is in the business of making desperate promises he knows he can't keep.
General Election 2015: Labour's Ed Miliband 'not focusing' on doing SNP deal
Jim Murphy and Ed Miliband have been campaigning in Glasgow
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was concentrating on winning a majority at the general election and not focusing on doing a deal with the SNP.
During a trip to Glasgow, he told the media the fight was between his party and David Cameron's Conservatives.
With predictions of another hung parliament after the 7 May poll, speculation is high Labour and the SNP could enter into a power agreement.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has talked of a Labour - but not a Tory - deal.
Labour won 41 seats north of the border at the last general election and Mr Miliband said he was "determined" to retain them all.
However, his party trails Ms Sturgeon's SNP in the polls north of the border and one option is that the Nationalists could hold the balance of power if no party secures an overall majority.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was concentrating on winning a majority at the general election and not focusing on doing a deal with the SNP.
During a trip to Glasgow, he told the media the fight was between his party and David Cameron's Conservatives.
With predictions of another hung parliament after the 7 May poll, speculation is high Labour and the SNP could enter into a power agreement.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has talked of a Labour - but not a Tory - deal.
Labour won 41 seats north of the border at the last general election and Mr Miliband said he was "determined" to retain them all.
However, his party trails Ms Sturgeon's SNP in the polls north of the border and one option is that the Nationalists could hold the balance of power if no party secures an overall majority.
Nicola Sturgeon said she could enter into talks with the Labour Party after the May election
David Cameron , Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband are leaders fighting for power at the 7 May election
Mr Miliband said: "The question on the ballot paper, actually I think Nicola Sturgeon said this yesterday, is who is going to be prime minister, is it going to be David Cameron or is it going to be Ed Miliband?
"If that is the question facing the electorate, and if people want to get rid of David Cameron and a Tory government, then the right thing to do is to vote Labour at the general election."
Mr Miliband was in Glasgow on Thursday campaigning with Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy and Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran.
When asked if he would do a deal with the SNP if Labour failed to secure an overall majority, Mr Miliband said: "I have only one focus, which is a majority Labour government.
"I'm going to put before the British people a manifesto, there will be a separate and distinct Scottish manifesto, which I think is important, and then I will say to people 'I want you to elect a majority
Mr Miliband said: "The question on the ballot paper, actually I think Nicola Sturgeon said this yesterday, is who is going to be prime minister, is it going to be David Cameron or is it going to be Ed Miliband?
"If that is the question facing the electorate, and if people want to get rid of David Cameron and a Tory government, then the right thing to do is to vote Labour at the general election."
Mr Miliband was in Glasgow on Thursday campaigning with Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy and Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran.
When asked if he would do a deal with the SNP if Labour failed to secure an overall majority, Mr Miliband said: "I have only one focus, which is a majority Labour government.
"I'm going to put before the British people a manifesto, there will be a separate and distinct Scottish manifesto, which I think is important, and then I will say to people 'I want you to elect a majority
Labour government'.
"That is what I think the country needs and that's where all of my focus is, that is what all of my energy is on."
'Don't want'
Pressed again on the possibility of any deal with the Nationalists, he said: "I couldn't be clearer - I think Jim (Murphy) has said we don't need, we don't want and we're not planning for that, and that is my position too."
During his visit to Scotland, Mr Miliband confirmed that a "Home Rule bill for Scotland" would be introduced within the first 100 days of a Labour government.
He also announced plans to immediately devolve control over the work programme to Holyrood by forcing a vote on a bill to pass the powers to Scotland before the general election.
The UK government has published plans for new powers for the Scottish government based on the recommendations of the Smith Commission.
However, the SNP said any suggestion the bill would amount to real Home Rule was "laughable" as 70% of taxation and 85% of welfare spending would remain under Westminster control.
"That is what I think the country needs and that's where all of my focus is, that is what all of my energy is on."
'Don't want'
Pressed again on the possibility of any deal with the Nationalists, he said: "I couldn't be clearer - I think Jim (Murphy) has said we don't need, we don't want and we're not planning for that, and that is my position too."
During his visit to Scotland, Mr Miliband confirmed that a "Home Rule bill for Scotland" would be introduced within the first 100 days of a Labour government.
He also announced plans to immediately devolve control over the work programme to Holyrood by forcing a vote on a bill to pass the powers to Scotland before the general election.
The UK government has published plans for new powers for the Scottish government based on the recommendations of the Smith Commission.
However, the SNP said any suggestion the bill would amount to real Home Rule was "laughable" as 70% of taxation and 85% of welfare spending would remain under Westminster control.
"Recently, Lewis MacDonald MSP specifically denied that Labour had ever talked about 'Home Rule', which renders the claims of Ed Miliband and Jim Murphy laughable.
"People in Scotland don't believe Ed Miliband - who has achieved the extraordinary feat for a Labour leader of having even worse poll ratings in Scotland than the Tory Prime Minister.
"The way to achieve the real powers of Home Rule is to vote SNP in May, for a strong team of SNP MPs holding the balance of power at Westminster."
All three main Westminster parties have pledged to ensure the new Scotland Bill becomes law, whoever wins the general election in May.
Last week the prime minister confirmed the legislation in the Smith commission's proposals would be in a Conservative government's first queen's speech if it forms the government after May's election
But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said UK ministers would get a veto on Scottish powers in key areas.
