They accuse him of cynical opportunism, even hypocrisy. Over the past few weeks, since Salmond revealed he was seriously considering a two-question referendum in an Guardian interview, figures in the UK government and Labour party have attacked the proposal. Yet Salmond has ruled out any prospect of his government campaigning for this middle option, leaving him looking to people such as Sime and the pro-devolution thinktank Reform Scotland to make that cause their own. Recent opinion polls confirmed that increasing Holyrood's powers, whether described as devo plus or devo max, is the most popular option for Scots voters. "There's an immediate practical abhorrence of what's on the table but a wider appreciation that we need to design a welfare system that fits Scottish values and aspirations as well as Scottish health and social care structures."
"What we're seeing from voluntary organisations is a realisation of the dreadful impact that the welfare reform proposals and cuts will have on the poorest people in Scotland," he said. But dismay over the UK government's welfare reform bill, particularly its impact on benefits such as on disability and jobseekers allowance, is now building up support for giving Scotland control over the welfare system. Sime stresses that SCVO has no formal policy on the referendum, but that there is now a "fast moving consensus" that control over social security, unemployment benefits and housing benefit needs to be devolved to Scotland.ĭevolution has been debated and voted on for 30 years, but welfare reform was always rejected by the major parties. For that, Scotland would need direct control of up to 90% of its taxes. They believe Scotland needs to wrest control from Westminster over one of the most significant areas of spending – that of welfare. If there are two questions, Sime and other senior figures in Scotland could campaign for "devo plus". Will that referendum, due in 2014 or 2015, ask one question or two? Will it give the Scots a choice? The status quo, full independence, or a middle course, one to greatly increase Scotland's powers while it stays in the UK? This last option is known as "devolution plus" or, at its most ambitious, "devolution max".
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