New Politics in Scotland
621
political arena and thereby create more conflict, supporters of new
politics assume that it would somehow reduce conflict. This sums up
the final criticism of new politics. It has tended to be a slogan around
which all sorts of beliefs, sometimes incompatible, have been hung
together.
1
Confusingly, there were two Claims of Right. The first was a document drawn up by the Constitutional
Steering Committee set up by the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly, a cross-party group of home
rulers which included some SNP members. This set out the case for a Scottish Parliament and proposed
that a constitutional convention should be established in order to bring it about. The second was a
short statement signed by members of the Constitutional Convention once it was established in March
1989 which declared the sovereignty of the Scottish people.
2
3
Towards Scotland’s Parliament: A Report to the Scottish People, Scottish Constitutional Convention,
November 1990, p. 12.
At a Labour press conference, BBC Scotland’s political editor asked Jack McConnell, Labour Scottish
General Secretary: ‘Why worry, isn’t the electoral system [for the proposed Scottish Parliament]
designed to prevent the SNP getting power?’ to which McConnell replied, ‘Correct.’ BBC Radio
Scotland, 22.4.97.
4
5
Information from Charles Pattie.
Consultative Steering Group on the Scottish Parliament, Shaping Scotland’s Parliament, Edinburgh,
The Scottish Office, December 1998, p. 3.
6
7
McAllion, ‘Holyrood’s Committees find Journey from Idealism to Reality Hard Going’, The Herald,
25.10.99.
See Brown’s comments as part of the Changing the Culture of our Politics Group, Evidence to
Procedures Committee, Scottish Parliament, 1.2.00.
8
9
Consultative Steering Group, op. cit., p. 7.
Scotsman, 4.10.99.
10 Proceedings of the Procedures Committee, Scottish Parliament, 1.2.00.
11 J. Smith, ‘Reforming Our Democracy: The First Richard Stewart Memorial Lecture’, University of
Strathclyde, October 1992.
12 At time when the Claim had been signed it was reported that all participants, including all Scottish
Labour MPs, had signed the document. It later transpired that Tam Dalyell MP, an inveterate opponent
of devolution had not signed it but Labour had managed to keep this quiet for quite some time.
13 Scotland’s Parliament, Cm. 3658, 1997; Scotland Act 1998, Section 28(7).
14 Wright, ‘A Critical Week for Democracy’, Herald, 5.10.99.
15 Jones, ‘Door’s Open’, Scottish Business Insider, 31.7.99.
16 Rait, ‘Open Government? Oh No It Isn’t’, Scotsman, 9.7.99.
17 Moffat, ‘Why Scotland Simply Cannot Go On Sniping’, Sunday Herald, 25.7.99.
18 Wright, ‘New Parliament—New Politics for a New Era?’, Herald, 14.5.98.
19 ‘The New Politics—Keep It Dull’, Scotsman, 17.6.99.