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Okay. So having read Starmer's speech, I am none the wiser about Labour's devolution policy, other than to set up (another) commission to come up with a policy. I have some questions...1/7 https://labour.org.uk/?p=47919 via @uklabour
2/7 How will the Commission operate? What is the balance between Labour Party interests & the public voice? What is scope for citizen-led deliberation? And what happens if/when different parts of UK want different outcomes?
3/7 Is opposition to indyref because now is not the time, or just because... What if party with commitment to referendum at heart of manifesto wins majority - is it still a no? (NB there is a world of difference between opposing independence & opposing Scots' right to decide)
4/7 Does the phrase “This won’t be an exercise in shifting power from one Parliament to another" suggest end goal is to bypass or weaken devolved legislatures to devolve power to local communities & councils?
5/7 How would you combine commitment to "pool our resources to share the risks and rewards" with "A new phase of radical economic and political devolution across the United Kingdom." What does that mean for tax/social security devolution, territorial finance, etc?
6/7 And, crucially, where is the focus on central institutions? Successive UK govts, including Blair/Brown era, failed to see that effective devolution means changing central government too & building structures of co-decision.
7/7 As Brexit process/internal market bill etc has shown, without shared power, devolved institutions are exposed to central govt decisions that affect/alter devolved powers, but over which they have no control & little say.
