LABOUR will continue the Tories’ centralisation of power at Westminster despite a pledge to “reset” devolution, an SNP candidate and political expert has warned.
Stephen Gethins, a former MP who is standing in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry in this General Election, spoke out after Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said that a Scotland Office under his control will be “turned into a spending department”.
Murray is expected to be handed control over Scottish allocations from pots such as the Shared Prosperity Fund, which was brought in to replace EU structural funds lost to Brexit.
Before the UK left the European Union, these funds were given to the Scottish Government to spend as they chose, but under the Tories, they were controlled by the Department for Levelling Up, the Department for Transport, and the Treasury.
The Labour manifesto contains a pledge to “restore decision-making over the allocation of structural funds to the representatives of Scotland” – but rather than give control over the funding back to the devolved government in Edinburgh, it will simply be shifted between UK government departments.
“I'm not sure what you're ‘restoring’ when you're doing exactly the same thing as the Tories,” Gethins, a professor of practice in international relations at the University of St Andrews, said.
The SNP candidate said that switching the funding control from one UK government department to another was not a significant change, adding: “It's not involving the devolved administration.
“The Scottish parliament is elected to do a job. The Scottish Government is elected to do a job. Either you believe in devolution – and devolution means the release of powers – or you don't.
“This strikes me as the Labour Party continuing the Tory post-Brexit penchant for centralising power.
“Brexit is a centralising project. These levelling-up funds are supposed to be there to replace the structural funds that we've lost. We know they've not quite replaced them, but that's what they're meant to do.
“Now, if they're meant to replace them, then that was a devolved responsibility in terms of expenditure. If Labour do not return powers to the democratically elected Scottish Government, that is building on the centralisation of the Conservatives in the aftermath of Brexit.
“You know, taking back control wasn't just in Brussels. It seemed that Westminster was taking back control from Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast at the same time.
“So what are the Labour Party doing to reverse that?”
In their manifesto, Labour say that they will “reset the UK Government’s relationship with devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland”, adding: “The Conservatives weakened our country by disrespecting the legitimate role of devolved governments and parliaments.”
Gethins said that, if Labour are truly looking to reset relationships, then continuing the Tory policy of centralising power at Westminster was “not a great start … because there has to be some trust rebuilt”.
He went on: “We've seen the way that the UK Scotland Office under the Conservatives – not only since Boris Johnson gained power – was one of disrespect to the devolved administrations.
“If this is going to be reset and you really are looking for a partnership of equals, then there needs to be more to it than just words.”
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Previously, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for devolution of further powers to the Scottish parliament, including powers over drugs and employment laws.
However, he has since U-turned on those positions and Scottish Labour’s manifesto only contains a single, vague mention of further devolution, stating: “We will deepen our democracy by … devolving power to communities.”
The SNP’s manifesto calls for a host of powers to be devolved, including employment rights, immigration, and broadcasting.
Gethins said he was “disappointed” to see Scottish Labour’s manifesto omit calls for any new devolved powers.
“The SNP wants to see independence, obviously, but we also want to see the Scottish Parliament with as many powers as it can get,” he said.
“Given that the Labour Party had previously offered more devolution, this would strike me as being a missed opportunity or rather, we're seeing a coy consensus with the Conservative Party in terms of what their plans are.
“I mean, the problem is you get lots of promises from the Labour Party when they're nowhere near power and then the moment they get near power and can do something about it, then those promises and commitments get withdrawn.
“So I think it's obviously disappointing, but something that we've unfortunately come to expect from the Labour Party.”
Labour were approached for comment.
