Yahoo – AFP,
Robin Millard, 27 Nov 2014
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Saltire
flags next to the River Tweed in Coldstream, a town on the border
between England and Scotland (AFP Photo/Lesley Martin)
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London
(AFP) - Scotland is set to get sweeping new powers including setting its own
income tax rates, under plans unveiled Thursday by a cross-party commission on
greater devolution.
"The
recommendations in the agreement will result in the biggest transfer of powers
to the Scottish parliament since its establishment," Lord Robert Smith,
who chaired the commission, said in Edinburgh.
"The
parliament will be more powerful, more accountable and more autonomous,"
he said, referring to the assembly set up in 1999 as part of the last major
devolution campaign in Britain.
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Over 45
percent of Scottish voters were
in favour of independence from Britain
(AFP Photo/Andy Buchanan)
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Other
proposals include control over air passenger duty, some welfare payments and
part of national sales tax, as well as the right for 16- and 17-year-olds to
vote in Scottish elections, below the national threshold of 18.
Decisions
on corporation tax will stay on a national level.
British
Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" with the proposals.
"This
is a good day for the UK... We are keeping our promise to the Scottish
people," the Conservative leader said.
He also
pledged to put forward a plan by Christmas to grant greater devolution to
England -- a key demand from supporters in England who resent the powers being
given to Scotland.
"The
report today also makes the case for English votes for English laws
unanswerable," he said.
Draft laws
for greater Scottish devolution are to be drawn up by January 25.
The British
government has come under pressure to deliver on its promise after a close-run
victory for those who wanted Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom.
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Draft laws
for greater Scottish devolution
are to be drawn up by January 25 (AFP
Photo/Andy Buchanan)
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Scots voted
by 55 percent to 45 percent to stay within the UK.
Scotland's
devolved government is run by the pro-independence Scottish National Party
(SNP), whose ranks have swelled since the referendum.
Scottish
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the proposals were "not real home
rule".
"I
welcome all new powers -- and pay tribute to Lord Smith -- but 70 percent of
our taxes and 85 percent of welfare (are) staying at Westminster," the SNP
leader said.
Deputy
First Minister John Swinney lamented that it did not include several measures
the SNP wanted, but welcomed the outcome "as far as it goes".
The right
to full control over income rax rates was backed by Conservatives and the SNP
but the opposition Labour Party long resisted the change.
Former
Scottish Labour opposition leader Iain Gray, who sat on the commission, called
the proposals "real change".
"These
are real powers and they will make our parliament one of the most powerful
devolved parliaments in the world," he said.
Chairman Smith said he accepted that some would think his recommendations had gone too far, while others would say they had not gone far enough.
"This process was always going to be difficult. It demanded a compromise from everyone involved," he said.
Chairman Smith said he accepted that some would think his recommendations had gone too far, while others would say they had not gone far enough.
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The
devolution report follows up a promise made by the leaders of Britain's three
main political parties to grant Scotland greater autonomy ahead of the
independence
referendum in September 2014 (AFP Photo/Andy Buchanan)
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"This process was always going to be difficult. It demanded a compromise from everyone involved," he said.
But he also
cautioned on the time needed to implement reforms, saying: "Change of this
magnitude cannot be rushed through."
Thursday's
report is the result of more than a month of talks with representatives of the
Scottish Parliament's five political parties and also took into account 400
submissions from organisations and more than 18,000 contributions from the
general public.
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