Calman Commission

Calman Commission. Officially known as the Commission on Scottish Devolution, it was an independent review body established in 2007 to examine the functioning of the Scotland Act 1998 and consider modifications to the constitutional settlement. The commission was formed following a political agreement between the Labour-led UK Government under Gordon Brown and the Scottish National Party (SNP) minority administration in Holyrood. Its work culminated in a final report in 2009, which proposed significant new financial powers for the Scottish Parliament and led directly to the Scotland Act 2012.

Background and establishment

The impetus for its creation stemmed from the changed political landscape after the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, which saw the Scottish National Party form a minority government, ending decades of dominance by Scottish Labour. The unionist parties—Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats—sought a review to strengthen devolution as an alternative to the SNP's goal of Scottish independence. The motion to establish the body was passed by the Scottish Parliament in December 2007, with its remit framed by a memorandum of understanding between Scottish Government First Minister Alex Salmond and Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne.

Membership and remit

The commission was chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman, then Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. Its membership comprised representatives nominated by the three main unionist parties at Holyrood, alongside experts such as Lord Hope, a former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and Professor James Mirrlees, a Nobel laureate in economics. Its formal remit was to review the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998, excluding the question of independence, and to consider reforms that would improve the financial accountability, stability, and efficiency of the devolution settlement.

Key recommendations

Its final report, published in June 2009, made over 60 recommendations. The most significant proposals centered on fiscal devolution, suggesting that the Scottish Parliament should gain the power to set a distinct Scottish rate of income tax, while HM Treasury would correspondingly reduce Barnett Formula funding. It also recommended devolving control over minor taxes like Stamp Duty Land Tax and Landfill Tax. Beyond finance, it proposed strengthening the legislative competence of Holyrood in areas such as the regulation of air weapons, the administration of Scottish elections, and the drink-driving limit.

Implementation and legislative impact

The UK Government, then led by Gordon Brown, accepted the majority of the recommendations. A Scotland Bill was introduced to the Westminster Parliament in November 2010, following a general election that brought a coalition government of David Cameron and Nick Clegg to power. This legislation, enacted as the Scotland Act 2012, implemented the core fiscal proposals, creating the Scottish rate of income tax and devolving Stamp Duty and Landfill Tax. The act also devolved powers related to speed limits, alcohol licensing, and capital borrowing.

Reception and criticism

The commission's work was praised by unionist parties and figures like Alistair Darling, who later chaired the Better Together campaign, as a substantive evolution of devolution. However, it faced criticism from the Scottish National Party and pro-independence supporters, including First Minister Alex Salmond, who argued it did not go far enough and was designed to thwart the ambitions of the independence movement. Some academics and commentators, such as Professor David Bell of the University of Stirling, argued its tax proposals were overly complex. The subsequent Smith Commission and the Scotland Act 2016, following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, ultimately superseded its recommendations with more extensive devolution of taxation and welfare powers.

Category:Scottish devolution Category:2007 in Scottish politics Category:Commissions and inquiries in the United Kingdom