Douglas Alexander calls for ‘new crusade’ on Scottish devolution

Douglas Alexander will today call for a “new crusade for devolution” in Scotland.

The Scottish secretary will make the call in his speech to a meeting of councils body Cosla in St Andrews.

Scottish Labour published its Muscatelli Report on economic growth on Monday, with party leader Anas Sarwar pledging to “push power out” of Holyrood and into communities.

The party argues that too much authority has been concentrated in Edinburgh under successive SNP governments.

Now Alexander is expected to argue along the same lines, stating that “Scottish local government has been systematically deprioritised for funding” and councils have “watched their powers being pulled to Holyrood”.

The Scotland secretary will say: “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. 

“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.”

The speech comes two months after Alexander took the top job at the Scotland Office in a UK Government reshuffle prompted by the resignation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister.

The decision to remove Ian Murray as Scottish secretary caused ructions in Scottish Labour.

The Muscatelli Report was written by economist and former University of Glasgow principal Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli.