Let the debate begin

Launching his "national conversation" on Choosing Scotland's Future yesterday, Alex Salmond claimed it is now the settled will of the Scottish people for their parliament to grow in influence and authority. The question, of course, is how that should be accomplished. Acknowledging the range of opinion between the current position and independence, the white paper holds out the prospect of a multi-option referendum rather than a straight choice on separation from the UK.

That is not only populist. It has already claimed its first political casualty. Although expected, the SNP administration's strategy caught Labour on the back foot, forcing Jack McConnell on Monday to execute a policy U-turn to support the devolution of further powers to Holyrood, previously anathema, and then to decide to stand down as Labour leader, with an announcement expected today. With the LibDems already suggesting a new constitutional convention to examine further devolution short of independence and the Conservatives interested in powers to strengthen financial accountability in Scotland, Labour looked desperately out of step with an electorate open to Holyrood acquiring more responsibilities. Mr Salmond has been adept at securing an advantage from the new political landscape, where devolved power-sharing is working in Northern Ireland and Labour and the nationalist Plaid Cymru are in government in Wales.

By upping the ante on where Scotland and, by consequence, Britain, should go from here, Mr Salmond has also laid down a challenge to Gordon Brown. The Prime Minister has already announced a green paper on the future governance of Britain which would examine constitutional issues other than devolution. The political landscape is not only new but potentially vibrant, too. The lesson for Labour in Edinburgh and in London from the Scottish Parliamentary elections is that the landscape cannot be shaped using the old rhetoric of divorce and break-up. The advice to Mr Salmond is that it cannot be had purely in Scottish terms or within Scotland. As Will Hutton points out in The Herald today, Mr Salmond's conversation is not Scotland's preserve. Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom (the polls suggest most Scots want it to stay that way, albeit with Holyrood having a bigger say in setting the agenda) and, regardless of the conclusion the conversation reaches, the exercise will be seen as flawed or devalued unless the debate reaches out to encompass all those in the constituent parts of Britain who have a say in this country's future. Perhaps a federal outcome, with more powers devolved from the centre in London to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales (possibly the English regions), will be the eventual result.

Events can wreck the best-laid plans of politicians even when the landscape is dull so the outcome cannot be predicted. The constitutional future is uncertain. However, the Scottish Executive's white paper should not be seen as a threat but as an opportunity, not just for Scotland but for Britain. Mr Salmond has shown an adept touch since becoming First Minister, a quality evident in the white paper. Wisely, all options are up for discussion. These include devolving powers at present reserved to Westminster (which merits a policy-by-policy analysis) to a referendum on independence. At present, asking the Scottish electorate to agree or not that the Scottish government should negotiate a settlement with the UK government to become independent is a question whose time has not come from the Nationalist perspective. Mr Salmond has a great deal of responsible governing to do, and many Scots to convince, before he can think confidently of winning that argument. But he continues to hit the ground running.