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It has generally been acknowledged that Gordon Brown (Comment, 18 October) brought new energy and passion to the no campaign in the final weeks before the referendum. He also persuaded the three party leaders to agree the “vow” on further devolution, which some believe ensured a positive result for the union. So he cannot now simply stand on the touchline and encourage the players on the field. He must help to ensure his vision is realised. There are three ways he can do so.
First, he can help Lord Smith of Kelvin succeed in what is a difficult, if not impossible, task of finding a consensus among the five parties on his commission. Then he can help ensure that the English democratic deficit is not dealt with by trying to alter the standing orders of the Commons on the English votes for English laws model, which, as he rightly says, would again threaten the integrity of the UK. This can only be resolved by looking at our constitution in a coherent way in a UK constitutional convention similar to the one which designed Scottish devolution. If Gordon can persuade the three party leaders on the “vow”, surely he is the person to get them to agree to set up such a convention now, so it can work in parallel with the Smith commission.
Finally, he should consider whether his enormous talents could be mobilised to help Holyrood implement the new powers that are to be agreed by standing for the Scottish parliament. This may appear to be an unusual move but we are now in uncharted waters, and bold action, at which Gordon is adept, is what is needed.
George Foulkes
Lab, House of Lords
• I respect Gordon Brown’s desire to ensure fairer treatment for Scotland. But his complicated suggestions will not alter the fact that “533 English MPs can, at any time they choose, easily outvote the 117 parliamentarians from the rest of the UK”. He should add that as the 533 are disproportionately from English public schools, they are unlikely to have much sympathy for the Scottish working class. They overwhelmingly gave support to the millionaire Tory ministers who, by mammoth cuts to the Scottish welfare budget, created more inequality, poverty, want and hunger than I have ever seen in Scotland’s deprived areas. Moreover, the Labour party backed these cuts as, to their shame, so did the 41 Scottish Labour MPs, who dare not differ from the Labour leadership.
I write with over 50 years in the Labour party. The only way for Scotland to combat the harmful policies imposed by Westminster is by independence. I plead with Gordon Brown to be the Labour leader who leads Scotland to an independence which can bring about greater democracy, equality and social justice.
Bob Holman
Glasgow
