The ten political party nominees and Lord Smith met for the first time yesterday in Edinburgh as the Smith Commission process continues apace.
Lord Smith called the meeting “constructive”.
The session saw the principles of the talks set and agreed as well as guidelines which constrain the ten nominees from commenting on the process until the talks have finished and a final report is published.
The representatives also presented their proposals for further devolution and common ground was sought.
Following the meeting, we learned that Lord Smith does not expect to announce any agreements until the public and civic society have had their say. With that deadline being 31 October, it is expected that any agreements will be announced as one package near the end of November.
After the meeting Lord Smith said: “We have good people around the table, each with their own deeply-held views, who have committed to work together to achieve a positive outcome to this process. We had a constructive discussion and agreed some important principles, which will guide us towards an agreement on a package of substantial and cohesive new powers to strengthen the Scottish Parliament within the UK.”
The principles agreed to by the Commission are:
1. Form a substantial and cohesive package of powers, enabling the delivery of outcomes that are meaningful to the people of Scotland.
2. Strengthen the Scottish devolution settlement and the Scottish Parliament within the UK (including the Parliament’s levels of financial accountability).
3. Aim to bring about a durable but responsive democratic constitutional settlement, which maintains Scotland’s place in the UK and enhances mutual cooperation and partnership working.
4. Not be conditional on the conclusion of other political negotiations elsewhere in the UK.
5. Not cause detriment to the UK as a whole nor to any of its constituent parts.
6. Cause neither the UK Government nor the Scottish Government to gain or lose financially simply as a consequence of devolving a specific power.
7. Be implementable; be compatible with Scotland’s and the UK’s international obligations, including EU law; and be agreed with a broad understanding of the potential associated costs.
This morning in Aberdeen, Lord Smith told the Chamber of Commerce that it was his belief that further powers will bring a level of responsibility that has been absent from the Scottish Parliament to date. He recommended that this principle should be written into any further devolution settlement.
The process is beginning, politicians and civic society are engaged, further change in Scotland is underway.