Independence minister calls for Brown express regret after Vow guarantees ‘not kept’
F
ormer prime minister Gordon Brown has come below hearth for guarantees made to Scots forward of the 2014 referendum, with the Scottish Government’s independence minister insisting these commitments have been “not kept”.
Jamie Hepburn hit out on the former Labour chief, saying he ought to apologise to individuals as “jobs have been lost and living standards have been harmed” on account of that.
Ahead of the historic vote in September 2014, Mr Brown was instrumental in drawing up what grew to become often known as the Vow – a dedication that Scotland would have federal-like powers if individuals rejected independence and as an alternative opted to remain within the UK.
However Mr Hepburn mentioned that the previous prime minister had “made promises that would have made even snake-oil salesmen blush”.
In distinction to what Gordon Brown promised, the truth is that we’re about as removed from a federal state as you will get
The independence minister insisted that Mr Brown “could not have been clearer that if people in Scotland voted against independence, in his own words, that ‘we’re going to be, within a year or two, as close to a federal state as you can be’.”
With Mr Brown attributable to converse at a rally in Edinburgh on Thursday night, Mr Hepburn challenged him over the supply of that.
The SNP MSP mentioned for the reason that independence vote in 2014, Scotland had been “dragged out of the EU against our will” and had seen the powers of the Scottish Parliament come “under attack like never before”.
Mr Hepburn mentioned: “The Sewel Convention which was supposed to prevent Westminster over-riding the Scottish Parliament is now routinely being breached.
“Laws passed in explicitly devolved areas are struck down at the stroke of the Scottish Secretary’s pen. And the Foreign Secretary is sending out threatening letters to overseas embassies trying to restrict Scottish ministers’ efforts to secure jobs and investment for Scotland.”
Mr Hepburn continued: “In contrast to what Gordon Brown promised, the reality is that we are about as far from a federal state as you can get – and nothing that pro-Brexit Labour are proposing in their anaemic devolution proposals will make any difference.
“Jobs have been lost and living standards have been harmed because promises that Gordon Brown made were not kept, and before he takes to the stage he needs to apologise.”
Mr Brown has already mentioned he will likely be talking concerning the “fight for change we can believe in” at Thursday’s occasion, which may also be addressed by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin.
The former prime minister added the analysis for his Our Scottish Future suppose tank confirmed that “Scotland’s problem is with Whitehall, Westminster and a London-centric system”.
But he careworn that many different elements of the UK “also feel detached from a centralised state”.