I told you in last week's column that John Major had announceda Commons debate on the constitution with him leading the argumentsand supported by the Scottish and Welsh Secretaries of State,Michael Forsyth and William Hague. Labour's forces were to beled by Tony Blair with Shadow Scots secretary George Robertsonsecond in command. As these two parties tried desperately toshow Middle England that there is a policy they do not share,all they showed Scotland was their usual brand of rhetoric nowweak and tired and irrelevant to political reality in Scotland.

The debate crystallised what many Scots already know - that theWestminster system is irrelevant to the future of Scots. Thesignificant conclusion from the debate is that independence willhappen. Blair and Major disagree on the route but they both firmlybelieve that it will happen with change or without.

As the Unionist parties backslide, it is the SNP who are on thefront foot of the constitutional debate. Independence is the onlyviable and constitutional future for Scotland. Instead of tryingto fit into the strait-jacket of the Union, independence is tailoredto meet the needs of Scotland. independence will mean a breakfrom Tory spending and tax plans. Independence will lead to therebuilding of Scotland's society and economy. Neither Labour northe Tories can deliver that.

During the debate Tony Blair refused to confirm whether any devolutionbill will be debated by a committee of the Commons because hehasn't decided yet. He is scared that he will have difficultygetting any legislation past the many devolution rebels in hisown backbenches.

Labour have never recovered from last summers' s devolution debacle when Blair imposed his two question referendum. This igniteda continuing civil war within the Scottish Labour Party and lefta sense of betrayal among the people of Scotland who know Labourcannot be trusted to deliver an assembly.

The Tories are also deeply divided. Their internal rifts werestarkly shown when the hapless Health Minister Stephen Dorrellintervened in the constitutional debate. There is an overwhelmingdemand for constitutional change in Scotland and the status quohas never been an option, but the question over the insecurityof any assembly under the Tories has now arisen. Both partiesagree that an assembly could be abolished, but an independentparliament could not - because in an independent parliament, sovereigntywould lie with the people of Scotland and not within the Palaceof Westminster as advocated by Blair and Major.

Labour and the Tories have demeaned the legitimate aspirationsof the Scottish people by reducing a crucial debate to petty pointscoring. They have ignored the fact that real economic and socialchange can only flow from real constitutional change.

As New Labour fight the Tories for the right wing ground of MiddleEngland, only the policies of the SNP reflect the principles ofeconomic and social justice that are at the heart of Scottishsociety. And it is only the SNP that offer the constitutionalsolutions than can begin to undo the damage inflicted by 18 yearsof Tory misrule and bring about the changes Scotland's peopledemand.

Alex Salmond MP
Leader
Scottish National Party

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Alex Salmond is the Member ofParliament for Banff & Buchan and is leader of the SNP. An economist aged 42 , he is widely regarded as one of the most effective Scottish politicans of his generation.

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If you would like to know more about the SNP and HELP SCOTLAND contact snp.hq@snp.org.uk or visit the official the Scottish National Party web site.

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