Heart Bypass
No doubt many of us felt excited as ‘Scotland’s Champion’, the Daily Record published Keir Starmer’s letter proclaiming that a Labour Government would have Scotland ‘at its beating heart’.
Fast forward to today, and it seems that Labour has more of a heart bypass in mind.
This week it was revealed that Keir Starmer warned his cabinet against an “overly deferential” approach to the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish governments, according to a leaked memo.
In the document from December, obtained and published on Tuesday by Plaid Cymru, Starmer said ministers should be prepared to “be confident in our ability to deliver directly in those nations, including through direct spending, even when devolved governments may oppose this.”
This is pork-barrel politics ahead of elections and testing the waters for direct rule.
It looks very much like a London government that has grown weary of a constitutional settlement they themselves created. It is a continuation of the Muscular Unionism seen under the Tories and now continued by Labour. It is the undermining of democratically elected bodies against their wishes. It is proof, if any was needed, of Tam Dalyell’s saying: “Power devolved is power retained.”
The Prime Minister’s move has the same tone as Penny Mordaunt’s ‘territorial offices’:
The problem with the revelations about Starmer bypassing devolution, rather than strengthening and defending it, is that he undermines the Union he means to protect. This is true in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Labour introduced devolution to stave off independence, but are now facing the prospect of having pro-independence parties in government in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The leak of the memo came shortly after Labour Senedd members wrote to the prime minister over concerns his administration was rolling back devolution powers. The memo is dated 10 days after an unprecedented letter to Downing Street signed by a third of Welsh Labour members of the Senedd over a funding row that they called “at best deeply insensitive, at worst a constitutional outrage”.
But this raises another aspect of the crisis, the extent to which it is taken more seriously in Wales than in Scotland. The Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, used the leak to attack the Welsh first minister, Labour’s Eluned Morgan, during first minister’s questions on Tuesday, calling the document Starmer’s “own version of Boris Johnson’s muscular unionism”.
BBC Wales covered the story extensively, ‘Starmer said ministers can go against wishes of Welsh and Scottish governments in leaked memo‘ – while BBC Scotland didn’t feature the story at all. It may be that the story has more bite in Wales because the document was obtained and published by Plaid Cymru, but the Scottish media’s complete lack of interest show’s a built-in bias.
There are various theories about what is going on here. One is simply that, ahead of elections in which they face the prospect of Plaid Cymru forming the next Welsh government, ending 100 years of Labour hegemony, the government is maneuvering to spend big and buy some popularity. The same argument could be said for Scotland – where Anas Sarwar’s beleaguered campaign needs all the help it can get. Others suggest that Labour are testing the waters for a more disruptive direct rule in which they intervene and try and install new nuclear power in Scotland.
Whatever the case, the idea of Labour being “the party of devolution” looks increasingly ridiculous. By abandoning the principles of devolution, they expose the Union they wish to preserve.
The interference in devolved governments affairs was really started by Alastair Jack using Section 35 of Scotland Act in 2023.
If, as seems increasingly likely, Plaid gain power in Cardiff and SNP remain in power after May elections a Labour government at Westminster will be far more hostile to devolved governments. They will then find it increasingly tempting to interfere with devolved issues and override devolved governments for political gain at Westminster.
Europe has apparently decided on the small nuclear installations solution to the current fuel dependency and instability. Watch Starmer.
Westminster government have given the go ahead for one SMNR to be built in Anglesey. It is predicted to start generating electricity around mid 2030’s.
The UK unlike virtually any other European country is an island surrounded by water. It is far better placed to harness tidal and wave power, which is more reliable and consistent than wind or solar power, .especially here in Scotland.
At a UK level I am not sure about need for rush to nuclear (which is not cheap) as opposed to developing other renewables and storage technology?
In short term investing in insulation to reduce energy consumption and bills would be particularly helpful especially for poorer sections of society.
From a Scottish perspective it makes even less sense investing in new nuclear power as we generate far more electricity per head of population compared with other parts of UK and have less need for increased generating capacity. New nuclear power facilities are both expensive and take longer to come on stream and consequently will not meet near term energy needs or reduce bills. The priority in Scotland should be concentrated on Investing in developing storage technology and capacity, other renewable sources and vitally improving the grid connectivity and capacity in more remote areas of Scotland.
From a Westminster perspective Scotland appears to be viewed as a suitable location for nuclear power due to it having a lower population density and hence being seen as safer for generation of nuclear power for UK. From a Scotland perspective it makes far less sense.
Looks like a green light to be politically assertive about Westminster supremacy even when there’s no live issue involved. Standard & Poor’s have certain expectations y’know.
For heavens’ sake get on with UDI.
Tam Dalyell’s saying: “Power devolved is power retained.”
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Was that not Enoch Powell’s saying?
Tam Dalyell’s was a more pessimistic unionism:
He saw devolution as a “motorway to independence with no exits”.