Brown sets out Scottish devolution timeline

Tonight in Midlothian, Gordon Brown will outline a timetable for devolution to Scotland, should the no vote win out in the referendum next Thursday.

Beginning the day after the referendum (19th September) these plans would see a new Scotland Bill drawn up by January next year. This bill would usher through new powers to the Scottish Parliament giving Scots further over welfare, taxation, and the economy – equivalent to home rule within the United Kingdom. The timetable goes as follows:

1. 19th SEPTEMBER: Formal initiation on September 19th of bringing in additional powers to which all parties can contribute

2. OCTOBER 2014: A command paper published by the present government setting out all the proposals for change, and no later than the end of October

3. NOVEMBER 2014: Following a period of discussion and consultation with civic society the heads of agreement in the form of white paper or equivalent document.

4. JANUARY 2015: Draft clauses for legislation as the new Scotland Bill.

On these plans, Brown is set to say:

“Quite simply, Scottish voters deserve to know to the fullest extent possible about how new powers as ambitious as possible will be delivered as soon as possible within the UK. And so we are demanding a tight-timetable with tough deadlines and streamlined procedures.

“A ‘No’ vote on 18 September will not be an end point, but the starting gun for action on 19 September, when straight away we will  kick off a plan to deliver the enhanced devolution that we want.

“On 19 September we will start bringing into law the new, stronger Scottish Parliament, and to secure the change we want we will work with the other parties. The Scottish people will expect nothing less, not only because that is the right thing to do, but because we need an agreed timetable with deadlines for delivery and a roadmap to our goal.”