The UK should look to federalism to help heal the wounds exposed by last year’s independence referendum, says a local MSP.
Murdo Fraser said a federalist structure will provide stability to the increasingly fraught constitutional uncertainty hanging over the UK – and should appeal to both unionist and nationalist factions in Scotland.
Mr Fraser said the beauty of federalism – a political system where a central governing authority shares power with smaller states – is that it can tackle in one swoop the issues of “democratic deficit” in Scotland and Wales, English votes for English laws, transparent funding for parts of the UK and House of Lords reform.
Writing for the think tank Reform Scotland, he said: “Crucially, federalism provides the potential for a permanent, lasting, stable, political framework for the UK.
He added that “federalism of some sort has the potential to be the common ground which unites a divided nation in Scotland after last year’s referendum vote”.
SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said people in Scotland will take Conservative comments on further devolution with a “very large pinch of salt”, saying the Tories have failed to live up to promises in the past.
She added: “Before Murdo Fraser worries about further devolution in England, perhaps he should first focus on securing what was promised to the people of Scotland in the Vow.”