Scottish 16 year olds will vote in Scottish independence referendum

The SNP government had managed to pass legislation that Scottish sixteen years olds will be entitled to vote in the forthcoming Scottish Independence Referendum.  This is great news - as these Scottish youngsters are expected to be even keener on Scottish independence Scottish patriots than older generations.

Sir Gus O'Donald told to 'read the riot act' over Scottish Independence

Sir Gus O'Donnell told to 'read the riot act' over Scottish independence

The United Kingdom’s most senior mandarin should “read the riot act” in Scotland today following claims Alex Salmond has enlisted civil servants in his drive to break up Britain, opposition parties have said.

By Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor - The Telegraph 29 Sep 2011

Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats joined forces on the eve of Sir Gus O’Donnell’s visit to Scotland today to ask that he intervene in the growing row over the politicisation of the civil service.

Senior sources told the Daily Telegraph that Sir Gus, the Cabinet Secretary, is due to hold meetings in Edinburgh with Alex Salmond and Sir Peter Housden, the First Minister’s permanent secretary and most senior civil servant.

Opposition party politicians, including former ministers, warned last week that supposedly neutral civil servants have “crossed the line” and become part of the SNP administration’s pro-separation propaganda machine.

They pointed to statements issued by the Scottish Executive attacking Coalition Government ministers in usually personal terms. This is despite Mr Salmond’s officials, including Sir Peter, remaining part of the British civil service.

Their complaints reached a crescendo on Monday when it emerged that Mr Salmond has appointed a mandarin on a salary of up to £208,000 per year to spearhead his plan for Scottish separation.

Senior SNP politicians said last night that it was the duty of civil servants to help implement the SNP’s manifesto, but opposition parties said it was “ridiculous” this responsibility extended beyond devolved issues to the break-up of Britain.

Sir Gus is Sir Peter’s superior and they appealed for the civil service chief, whose initials and power have led to him being nicknamed God, to investigate their complaints.

Tavish Scott, the former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and former Transport Minister, said: 

“Instead of parleying with the First Minister, Sir Gus should be reading the riot act to the permanent secretary.

“His job must be to stop the Nationalists introducing politics to the Scottish civil service and a £200,000 civil servant with responsibility for splitting up the UK is incompatible with a UK civil service. The question we’re all asking is what Sir Gus is going to do about it?”

Iain Gray, Labour’s Holyrood leader, who held a variety of ministerial positions under three First Ministers, said Sir Gus should use his visit to Scotland to “examine the conduct” of his Scottish team.

“Ever since Alex Salmond became First Minister, there have been concerns about the politicisation of the civil service and since the election of an SNP majority these concerns have accelerated,” he said.

“Many statements from Scottish government spokespeople and documents seem to me incompatible with my experience of how the civil service worked with ministers as they stray well beyond the acceptable line into politics.”

Mr Gray also said Sir Gus should question whether Mr Salmond’s appointment of the new mandarin, who has been nicknamed the “director general for separation” is an appropriate addition to a supposedly neutral civil service.

The successful candidate for the “strategy and affairs” role will take charge of the SNP administration’s referendum and campaign for more powers.

The post was approved by Sir Peter and the Civil Service senior leadership committee, which is chaired by Sir Gus.

The Cabinet Secretary was appointed to his post by Tony Blair in 2005 in a move intended by the then-Prime Minister to show he was not politicising the civil service.

He had huge experience of working for ministers from all sides of the political divide, having previously been permanent secretary at Gordon Brown’s Treasury and Sir John Major’s press secretary during his premiership.

David McLetchie, the former Scottish Tory leader and the party’s constitutional affairs spokesman, said civil servants have a difficult balancing act but added: “Clearly the boundaries in Scotland are being pushed to near breaking point.

“Gus O’Donnell could usefully remind both the First Minister and his colleagues of the boundaries of the British civil service.”

He cited “flimsy” reports produced by officials on the SNP’s demands for extra tax powers to be devolved as part of the Coalition Government’s Scotland Bill.

The corporation tax document cited the support of individual entrepreneurs, but ignored the opposition or large business groups like CBI Scotland.

David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said on Monday the papers were “inadequate” and “don’t address some of the fundamental questions”.

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said he had heard concerns from within the civil service but it was difficult to gather evidence as individuals were afraid of “sticking their head above the parapet”.

“Sir Gus needs to be asking some really tough questions,” he added.

But a senior SNP politician said civil servants should work to implement all SNP manifesto promises, even if they extend to separation.

The CEI comments that The Telegraph is owned by the Scottish Barclay twins and notes that the job title of the staffer who wrote the above is called 'Scottish Political Editor'.  The Telgraph does not of couse have an 'English Political Editor'. 

New Scottish political parties

The Scotsman has today reported that there will be a new Scottish Labour Party organisation, which will make its own decisions (instead of being faxed the script from Labour Party HQ in London).

This follows on from the recent announcement by the best placed Scottish Tory leadership candidate that if elected he will form a new Scottish-based centre right party, independent from the British Conservative and Unionist Party led by Cameron.

The unbundling of the British political establishment is a journey with a definite destination (the British elites seeking to save their jobs and power in a broken Union) and these two structural steps are significant in showing how quickly developments are occurring.

No one else appears to have yet pointed out that a British government relying for its Parliamentary support on a separate Scottish allied party would be unlikely to choose the leader of that relatively minuscule party as Prime Minister or Leader of the Opposition.

Thankfully England might therefore be spared another Gordon Brown the Scot who showed the English what moral stature is to be expected from a Scot who was a son of the manse.

Another point worth noting is that when the Tories and Labour cease to stand election candidates in Scotland - and neither of course already stands in Northern Ireland - then how can either of these two parties be considered British?