10/11/2011 Newsnight Scotland

front page lead that simply refuses Tonight, is this so-called respect

agenda between David Cameron and Alex Salmond beginning to fray

around the edges? There is a suggestion that mutual respect may

be diminishing ahead of their forthcoming referendum. What

happened to the respective gender? It was an idea to help David

Cameron and Westminster appear less threatening to the northern tribes

of Alex Salmond. Ahead of the referendum, it is showing signs of

strain. Is it really the best backdrop to the constitutional

What you want? Baby, I got it. What you need? Do you know why got it?

All I am asking is for a little respect. The respect agenda shot up

the political charts almost as soon as David Cameron became Prime

Minister. He went to Holyrood before he went to Westminster. This

was in a New Age of co-operation and understanding between

government. The implication was that the days of rancour and

recrimination have gone. This But this is politics. At a Holyrood

committee this week, there were signs that someone might have

forgotten how to spell that world. R...E...S...P...E...C...T? You're

saying that UK government ministers are telling you that this

Government is wasting its time talking about corporation tax?

Yes. The UK Government said, we will respect what you do. I think

it is faltering, if it was there in the first place. The reason it is

falling to pieces is because the UK Government have started to play

hardball with Mr Salmond and his government. Then there was the

business for the Supreme Court. They were accused by the SNP of

ambulance-chasing and interfering in the Scottish justice system. Not

very respectful. In Washington, for some, the Prime Minister over-egg

his criticism of the Scottish government for releasing Abdelbaset

al-Megrahi. I do not need a in inquiry to tell me what was a bad

decision. It was a bad decision. And did the

Prime Minister could discourage investment in Scotland with this

answer in the Commons? When it comes to to green technology, the

combination of a green investment bank sponsored by the United

Kingdom Government can make it a great investment for people in

Scotland, but we can only do that if we keep our country together.

He is a looking up to eight Scotland and seeing a left-leaning,

Nationalist government demanding all sorts of things.

He is going to put his foot down and say, no, I am going to fight

for what I have. The biggest breach of all could yet come in that

Scotland Bill. Where we're going is a potential

clash, big clash over the Scotland Bill.

If they are putting together things in Westminster that the SNP just do

not like, the SNP government will say, we are not having this. They

could fail to give it legislative consent and the Scottish Parliament.

They could have a UK government with the UK Government Bell being

knocked back on a technical motion by a Scottish government. That is

uncharted territory. If we get into this kind of M pass, does it favour

one side more of the other -- more or the other?

BSN p will play this up as the big bully boys down in Westminster

telling us what to do, and we are not going with it. We will see Alex

Salmond using the argument that he is the only leader of any

government in Britain that has a full majority. Because he has that,

he has a right that David Cameron F M Bellis amended to allow it

Westminster to do its own referendum, the reaction from the

nationalists will be somewhat less. We are joined by their head of the

think tank. In London, there is David Torrance. Here, up we have

Ewan Crawford. How you getting along with this? With the respect

agenda, it died when SNP won a majority. Before that, it was

something to disguise the majority in Scotland. It suited Alex Salmond

to appear constructive to the UK government. Does it matter? I

estimate matters if the Government in London does things that is seen

as constitutionally into appearing. I think it shows that the

temperature is rising. Politicians are doing what they do in terms of

doing politics. It is disappointing if it detracts from the policies.

It is doing that. If you think back to the 1990s, when there was a

debate about a Scottish parliament, you could have a rational debate.

Everything to do with independence is tense. It is and that is a shame.

People in Scotland want a proper debate -- debate on the subject.

Going back to the 1980s, there was not the most cordial of debates.

Armageddon was warned. The same thing is happening now. David

Cameron has then the Liberal Democrats over the top. They are

warning of the catastrophe that will befall Scotland if it is it --

independent. It is right that there will be a debate. I was suggesting

that that is normal politics. It is not clear that tours have been

tried on. There have been incident when the British government says

that what has been said about judges is out of order. Beyond that,

the latter is just a suggestion. No one has done anything that

infringes on the other. To some extent but you have aggressive

language and it is almost back to Michael Forsyth. There is no

constructive engagement. But that is politics. We should not get

carried away. Bell were not be this cordial chat when the issue is so

serious. Were built -- will there be a rational debate? If it is

unlikely. Given that the big game in Scottish politics is the

referendum and D Lomax, I think the next few years will be more quickly.

There are much higher stakes now. I suppose seeking damage limitation

would be a risky move but this year to leave it to the SNP. It can only

get worse and we have seen shocking tactics from the Government so far.

From the Scottish Government, we have had a lot of statistics. They

can prove anything they want and that will go on. This suggestion

that the British Government may organise its own referendum. It is

inflammatory. Is it morally questionable? Is the SNP right to

say it we are the Scottish Government, it is up to us to do

this. First of all, Alex Salmond set out clearly in his manifesto

that he will do a referendum and do it in the second half of Parliament.

He would ask two questions about? Options. I can also understand why

Westminster is so keen on weeding end. These questions affect the

rest of the UK. You mentioned David Torrance, Devo Plus. The SNP seems

very keen on its, why do you think that is? Divide and conquer. There

are elements in each of the three parties who want something like de

Normax. Come the referendum campaign, so there is the

possibility of the parties splitting along those lines. It is

just to discomfort the opposition parties. As Alex Salmond argues,

the majority of stocks don't want independence but more power.

have very little time left. Outline what you think that people Max's.

When people are asked it in referendums -- opinion polls, do

you want more power? They say yes. What does that mean? Do you think

people in these opinion polls actually have thought this through?

I think the public is more intelligent than politicians give

them credit for her. I think we want something right for Scotland.

Possibly a new relationship between Scotland and the UK. They want

their politicians to have proper responsibility. Let me give you an

example, tax and benefits. Do people really want to get rid of

the UK welfare system? It may also have a downside. We have not got

time to going to it. We have set out a clear way for word. We think

it is the best way forward. It is a better relationship with the UK.

What do you think about this? The obvious point would be that Alex

Salmond keeps topping about independence. The SNP's position is

that they believe in independence. What do you think...? Some people

say, Alex Salmond, we think you are at it. We will have to leave it