Scottish Secretary Alexander set to call for ‘crusade for devolution’

The Scottish Secretary is set to call for a “new crusade for devolution” in a speech on Thursday.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is set to deliver a speech to council leaders where he is to highlight how he believes devolution has not been delivered.

He is expected to be critical of the Scottish Government and claim it is deprioritising councils for funding, and centralising powers at Holyrood.

Mr Alexander is expected to say: “During recent decades, Scottish local government has been systematically deprioritised for funding.

“Scotland’s local authorities have watched their powers being pulled to Holyrood rather than further devolved to local communities.

“There has never been a point where councils have been so persistently on the defensive – fighting cuts on an annual basis in order to defend an ever-shrinking core of services from further erosion.

“The Scottish Parliament should have heralded a new era of powers, esteem and resource – not just for Scotland, but also for Scottish local government.

“And yet, the reality is that Scottish local government has been systematically starved of funds over the last two decades.”

The comments come 25 years on from the start of devolution in Scotland.

Mr Alexander is also expected to criticise the Scottish Government’s use of council tax powers and funding cuts.

Speak at the annual Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) convention in St Andrews, he is expected to say: “At exactly the same time as these funding cuts, we have also seen the systematic centralisation of decision-making in Holyrood, including on policing and fire and rescue.

“At the same time, the Scottish Government has constrained council tax powers via national freezes and caps.

“It is now time for a new crusade for devolution within Scotland, to reach back to the core principles upon which our Parliament was founded and restore the values of devolution.

“We must allow the Scottish Parliament to realise its potential to deliver change and reform for the people of Scotland and Scotland’s local authorities, regardless of party allegiance, must be at the forefront of that cause.”

SNP MSP Rona Mackay said: “It takes some brass neck to claim they will protect devolution on the same day Labour has been called out for Scotland’s missing half-a-billion pounds – after £547 million of local growth funding was confirmed for Wales, and not Scotland.

“When it comes to protecting the powers of the Scottish Parliament, Douglas Alexander is the very last person the people of Scotland can trust. Scotland is always an afterthought for Westminster, which is why we need the fresh start of independence.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.