FIRST Minister Alex Salmond has said that proposals to increase the devolved powers available to the Scottish Parliament should be part of an SNP referendum on independence.
The gauntlet was thrown down following the announcement of the Calman Commission report, which recommended major constitutional change for Scotland.
Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who have set up a steering group to push thr
ough the Calman proposals all made it clear last night that a referendum was not likely.
The First Minister made his offer to add a "Calman question" during a symbolic visit to West Lothian – the constituency where he was born and gave its name to the constitutional question framed by its former MP Tam Dalyell.
Mr Salmond welcomed new powers on controlling airguns, speed limits and drink driving, but was dismissive of proposals to give Holyrood direct control of £9 billion of Scotland's finances.
He said that proposals that Holyrood should get control of almost half of the income tax raised north of the Border were meaningless.
He said the current power of varying the rate by 3p has never been used and asked: "Why would the Scottish Parliament then use a variable rate of 10p?"
He described the proposals as fundamentally weak and flawed in a number of areas and said the proposal of just giving Holyrood the same borrowing powers as a council was derisory.
He continued: "I don't think these changes amount to much, but if the unionist parties believed that the changes were as significant as they claim then they should put it to the people alongside ours on independence."
Yesterday Labour dismissed Mr Salmond's suggestion that a question on the Commission to be included in an SNP referendum as another "red herring".
Privately they and the other unionist parties, who last year voted against an independence referendum, made it clear that by having a referendum on Calman they would open the door the SNP's demands again.
A Labour spokesman added: "Whenever the SNP are in trouble they suggest a referendum. They have been running around like headless chickens in their response to Calman."
Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie accused Mr Salmond of "cynical opportunism" over his latest referendum proposals.
"This is a cynical attempt by the SNP to play politics with the serious recommendations from the Calman Commission," she said. "Alex Salmond is clearly worried by the proposals outlined in the report. He knows that independence would not get majority support and he is trying to muddy the waters."
The row was set against a background of announcements on taking the Commission proposals forward and the next stage of the Scottish Government's rival National Conversation.
Labour Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy blogged the terms of reference for the steering group: "A Steering Group to help the UK government and the Scottish Parliament plan how to take forward the Calman recommendations and deliver stronger devolution within a stronger United Kingdom."
He added: "My main aim is to make sure we keep the considerable consensus and develop the momentum behind the plans."
Meanwhile Mr Salmond and SNP Minister for the Constitution Mike Russell tried to claim back some of the lost ground for their National Conversation.
The two addressed an audience of around 170 people in Livingston, West Lothian in a meeting to hear the views of people on independence.
They announced that a new white paper on a referendum will be published on St Andrew's day – 30 November – after publication of policy details. Mr Salmond told the audience that Scotland is now "moving to a decision".
The announcement followed criticism of the National Conversation's lack of research and use of evidence in comparison to the Calman Commission's inquiry.
Mr Russell said: "People will find that the papers we produce in the run-up to the white paper are far more substantial and detailed than anything produced for Calman.
"There will be also a much greater opportunity for people to study and debate them."
He pointed out that the last expert group papers published for Calman appeared just a week before the final report was published and after the crucial decisions had been made. "Hardly time for debate there," he said.
Salmond wants voice of people to be heardALEX Salmond's symbolic visit to West Lothian yesterday was a bold move to try to wrest back the initiative on Scotland's constitutional debate.
In recent months, the National Conversation has quietened to something less than a murmur while attention has focused on the Calman Commission.
And to make matters worse, the unionist parties have made it clear – with one significant vote in Holyrood last year – that the SNP's referendum bill will barely see the light of day before it is thrown out.
When Calman published on Monday, the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems made it clear that they intend to act swiftly to kill off the constitutional debate.
Mr Salmond needed to get the National Conversation heard again. And he needed to counteract the criticisms that it has no real evidence or weighty papers to back up its findings, unlike Calman. So it made sense to announce that documents will be produced later this year.
Some had also believed he may, in the gradualist tradition, warmly welcome any changes which add powers to Holyrood. But instead he was quite sniffy about them. Mr Salmond now clearly believes that a little is not nearly enough and that by gratefully receiving a derisory offer he will lose the momentum for a larger prize.
And where better to take back control of the debate than West Lothian? Thanks to the anti-devolution former MP for the area, Tam Dalyell, it has given its name to the most famous constitutional question.
The centrepiece of the new Howden Park Centre, where he met the 170-strong audience, is a modern piece of art called Gravity.
Buoyed by a record poll lead for the SNP in the last few days, Mr Salmond will hope that he can overcome political forces in the Scottish Parliament and ensure that the public have their say in a referendum.
The full article contains 1022 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
