08/09/2014 Scotland Decides

Parliament. There we are going to leave Gordon Brown, because now on

BBC News it's time for Scotland Decides. That's presented by Gavin

Esler. Tonight, former Prime Minister,

Gordon Brown, sets out a proposed timetable for the transfer of more

power if Scotland votes no. His comments come just ten days before

referendum day, as both sides in the Scottish referendum debate crank up

their campaigns. I'll speak live to a leading member of Better Together,

Douglas Alexander, to find out what the prounion parties are offering if

there is a no vote. Good evening from Glasgow. Gordon Brown has added

his voice to calls for greater powers for Scotland in the event of

a no vote. He says a timetable should be published no later than

October, with legislation put before Westminster by January. The former

Prime Minister says the option is the alternative to an irreversible

separation. The three main unionist parties are tomorrow expected to

back the timetable announced. The form are Prime Minister has been

talking to our political correspondent Glenn Campbell. What

people want is a plan for a Scottish Parliament with stronger powers

that's immediate, deliverable, comprehensive and has the majority

support of the Scottish people. What I'm proposing is we set a timetable

where we publish proposals that can be legislated in October. We consult

on them in December. We have a Bill that is ready to go forward in

January. So that people know that a "no" vote is a vote not for no

change. It's a vote for a stronger Scottish Parliament with more powers

over society and over the economy and over financial affairs and this,

in my view, is not only what the majority of Scottish people want,

it's a plan that is deliverable faster than anything that Alex

Salmond can ever do. Does this have the full support of Labour, the

Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats? I have put forward the

proposals. El Miliband and Joanne Lamont have already indicated they

support the proposals for both the timetable and the new powers that

the Parliament would have. It's up to the other parties to respond. I

believe myself that these are sensible proposals that people will

warm to over the next few days. I'm assured that we don't need to go

through the trauma and dislocation and disruption and uncertainty of

industry pen to have the strongest `` independence, to have the

strongest Scotland and have powers over the economy and finance that we

have proposed while at the same time our pensions are UK pensions and we

have a currency with a say in it from Scotland, in the UK, and we

benefit from the resources of the UK as before. Gordon Brown. This was

the reaction to Mr Brown's plans from the Finance Secretary, John

Swinney talking earlier. It's a bit late in the day. People have heard

this all before. Hundreds of thousands of people have voted

already in the postal vote. That's all happened. What people will be, I

think, seized of when they vote either by post in the remaining few

days or in the referendum a week on Thursday, is to remember that in

1979 we were told to vote no and we would get a Scottish Parliament and

we got nothing. If we want a guarantee of real powers and control

for Scotland then we have to vote yes. That is the guarantee. The

crucial difference this time is it's Labour, the Conservatives and

Liberal Democrats jointly suggesting this is possible. That wasn't the

case in 1979. The Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives

joined together in 2008 to establish the Commission and it reviewed the

powers of the Scottish Parliament and made recommendations and they

didn't even implement all of them of the Commission. We don't have to go

back to 1989, but `` 1979, but a couple of years ago, when the three

parties promised more control and didn't even deliver those.

Fundamentally if people want a guarantee of taking Scotland's

future into Scotland's hands, then they must vote yes in the referendum

next Thursday. Glenn Campbell is in Loanhead where Gordon Brown has been

speaking. How significant do you think this is from the former Prime

Minister? I wonder to what extent Gordon Brown has bounced his

colleagues in the campaign tonight, because Downing Street said it

welcomed what it called a Labour initiative and was content with the

proposed timetable. Gordon Brown himself has said that he's been

pressing the Conservatives on this for some time. It is a timetable

that he is proposing. He wants whoever is in power to move quickly

after the next general election to legislate and he wants all parties

to start immediately on September 19th to sit down and agree exactly

what new powers would come to Scotland in the event of a "no"

vote. We don't have that yet. He's keen on Labour's proposals, but

there are competing and contrasting proposals from the Conservatives and

the Liberal Democrats. They would need to come together and reach an

agreement. We won't know that before the vote. Thank you. With me now

here in the studio is the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and leading

member of Better Together Douglas Alexander. Has Gordon Brown bounced

the Prime Minister into this? No. What Gordon Brown has done is set

out a timetable for legislation, a timetable for change. We hope that

the proposal that has been developed by Scottish Labour will be received

favourably by the other parties. I expect that we'll hear their

response in the days ahead. It's very clear now, if people vote no on

18th September, the work of delivering enhanced devolution would

begin immediately. You say days ahead. People have begun voting.

Certainly. It must be panic? No, quite the reverse. If you look at

what Gordon Brown said this evening. This has been going on for months. A

few days before the election and when people have already cast their

vote, we are now hearing these new proposals? The plans of all three

parties have already been set out. As we move to the 18th, the day on

which the bulk of the people will cast their vote, I think there is

clarity that can be brought. A number of us have been urging that

and working for that. What Gordon Brown has done clearly tonight is to

set out a timetable for change. What we would be seeing would be an

immediate start of the process after a "no" vote. That would involve by

the end of October, the publication of what is a command paper and that

means the proposals of all three of the political parties within one

month and by the end of November, there would be heads of agreement.

That is a white paper published and by January and during January, we

would see legislation and a new Act to deliver the changes that people

want. What we know is on offer now is a clear timetable from those of

us who want Scotland to change within the United Kingdom, in

contrast to grave uncertainties on basic issues. You say that these

would be the changes that people want. Where is the beef? You have

laid out a timetable, but what are the changes? What will people get?

Changes to taxation and welfare and new powers in Scotland. My sense is

there is a fundamental choice between irreversible separation and

a stronger Scottish Parliament. What do people want in that? I would

argue it's both a higher degree of accountability and that's what

changes to income tax would deliver. At the same time, welfare powers.

One of the biggest challenges of my constituency are young unemployed

people. We think within the Parliament and the local authorities

they could do more at matching young people without jobs to the skills

that locals need. Why is it, with great respect to Gordon Brown, that

Gordon Brown is announcing this? He's not the Prime Minister. He's

not the leader of the Labour Party. He's not the leader of the Labour

Party in Scotland and he's not the leader of Better Together? Joanne

asked him to engage in dialogue with the Government to try to secure the

timetable. Gordon Brown said this afternoon that he had been

discussing these matters, so Joanne, who is our leader, charged Gordon

with the responsibility. I don't think many people would dispute he's

a prominent member of the Scottish Labour Party who has a commitment to

Scotland beyond question and he's ideally placed to have set out the

thinking and I hope and believe that we will see a favourable response

from the other parties and then the Scottish voters will know, with

clarity and certainty, the basis on which change will come to deliver a

stronger Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom, not the

separation. Are you saying he's a vote winner? Absolutely. Absolutely.

Whereas Ed bill manned isn't? He's the leader of the UK Labour Party.

These proposals have been built and developed in Scotland. It will

involve a process of consultation. Not just here in Scotland, but with

the Scottish people, so we can have a new Act. Why has Better Together

been so poor that up to a third of Labour voters are telling the polls

they might vote "yes"? There is movement within the parties and

there are many who are on the point of voting no. I'm not disputing the

fact there will be shifts, but the fact are if you want secure UK

pensions, as Gordon Brown argued and the strength of 64 million people

standing behind the pensions, and the certainty of the UK pound and if

you want the funding to protect our National Health Service then I think

you'll vote no and those are powerful arguments.

But we have both spoken to a lot of Labour voters, many of whom say it

is a strategic error of yours to be too close to the Conservative Party

which promotes austerity. Let me start with your earlier question,

why are Scottish Labour taking this initiative and wires Gordon Brown

leading the timetable tonight? Because we are leading, but of

course we want to be able to provide certainty to voters in Scotland that

would have `` whichever government is elected in May is coming, the

Conservatives are not only behind in the polls but have problems with

UKIP, Labour is moving ahead, but whichever party is in is in power in

May, change is coming, which is a powerful message but requires, as we

saw in the Calman commission, cross`party work. I will not give

too much credence to John Swinney, who is a good friend of mine, who

says, will cross`party work deliver change? We have a tradition of

seeking consensus on constitutional change, that is what we did on the

Constitutional Convention when the SNP stood outside, as we did with

the common commission. We are setting out tonight timetable to

deliver Scottish home rule within the UK. I believe that as a voter in

a because what most Scots want is a sense that Scotland is moving

forward with more powers in the Scottish Parliament, backed up by

the strength, stability and security of the UK. But there are other

people in the Yes campaign and the SNP who say, you have tried threats

and now you are trying bribes. Better Together was launched two

years ago with the message, we can have the best of both worlds. There

is a fundamental choice here, do we walk away from the UK with the risk,

uncertainty and doubt, or do we deliver change which balances

security and stability of the UK with more powers for Scotland. And

let's be clear, there is no sign of panic, because for the first time

you are behind. This is the work of months, we have been working for

months both as three parties to develop proposals, Joanne asked

Gordon sometime ago to work to deliver a timetable for change,

which has been set this evening. But why was the timetable today, so

close to people voting? Because frankly people are now coming to the

decision point. People talk to you about it in the street. People want

certainty, and I believe tonight they are getting a timetable for the

change most of us in Scotland want. This is a significant day in the

referendum campaign. A final thought, was it also a mistake not

to have another option on the ballot for more devolution? There is a

fundamental question, in or out, state or walk away. Once the issue

was resolved as Gordon Brown's timetable states tonight, I believe

the other parties will also be clear on it, what we have confirmed

tonight is the timetable by which we will have changing the UK rather

than walking away from the UK. Thank you, Douglas Alexander.

We will speak to leading figures from the Yes campaign later in the

week. Stay with BBC news for the latest on the Scottish referendum.

Tomorrow I will be in Edinburgh as the prounion parties give more

details of what further devolution could take place after a no vote.

You can get the latest online including our Scotland business

editor Douglas Fraser looking at whether taxes might go up or down in

an independent Scotland. And Sarah Smith will be back tomorrow evening

with the latest from the campaign at 7:30pm and 9:30pm, and I will be

reporting from Edinburgh. Until then, goodbye.

Let's look at some other news. The second man has been arrested on

suspicion of murdering missing teenager Alice Gross. The

14`year`old from west London went missing at 11 days ago whilst

walking along the Grand Union Canal in west London. Police say her

disappearance remains a missing person 's