Scottish Home Rule: In The Local News 100 Years Ago

By theorkneynews on March 22, 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

From The Orkney Herald and Advertiser, 19th March 1924

SCOTTISH HOME RULE

Draft Scheme of a Parliament

Scottish Home Rule is the subject of a draft Bill outlined in the current issue of the monthly organ of The Scottish Home Rule Association.

In the Scottish Parliament, as provided by this Bill, there would be 148 members, elected by the present constituencies, but each division sending double the number of representatives. “No member of Parliament or Minister”, adds the draft ” shall be required to take an oath of allegiance. His sole title to his seat or his office shall rest on the mandate of the electors.”

The assembly would have sovereign power to manage and control all national affairs in Scotland, would meet for one or more sessions every year, and a new Parliament would fall to be elected not later than three years after the previous General Election. A Prime Minister and other Ministers would be elected, and, on their election, the control of a number of services would be transferred to the Scottish Parliament.

These services would include the collection of taxes in Scotland, judicature, land tenure, education, agriculture and afforestation, fisheries, public health, transport, custom, excise, and income tax, postal services, and civil aerial navigation. Other services at present administered by the United Kingdom Parliament, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Foreign Office, would not be changed. Payments for such joint services would be made in proportion to be determined on by both Governments.

Provision is also made in the Bill for the setting up of a Council, representative of the Scottish and English Governments, to confer on matters of common interest. Representatives from Ireland and Wales could be added to the Council.

In the final section, Scotland’s share of the National Debt is dealt with.

“As soon as the separate Scottish Treasury is established, it shall assume responsibility for eleven eightieths of The British National Debt, and shall recover possession of eleven eightieths of the material and liquid assets of the present United Kingdom Treasury, or, alternatively, the two Governments shall agree as to the assets and debts to be assigned to each. “

The Scottish Home Rule Association was established in 1894. In 1913 a Scottish Home Rule Bill went before the UK Parliament, and passed the second reading but as we know the First World War came along and it was set aside.

The issue of Home Rule had not disappeared from Scottish politics and after WW1, Liberals were joined by the Labour Party and the Independent Labour party. The Scots National League was formed in 1920 in favour of Scottish independence. Then in 1928 the National Party of Scotland. And finally the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1934. Important in the movement for Scottish Independence in Orkney were F. Marion McNeill, who became Vice President of the Scottish National Party and her brother, Duncan.

The McNeills of Holm

GOVERNMENT OF SCOTLAND BILL. HC Deb 09 May 1924 vol 173 cc789-874

Mr George Buchanan MP, Scottish Labour, introduced a Scottish Home Rule Bill in 1924 to the House of Commons.

“I make no apology for introducing this Bill into the House of Commons. This Bill is in my name, but I alone do not bear the responsibility for it. The Bill is not introduced merely on my own behalf, but is representative of Scottish Labour opinion in so far as it is represented by Members of Parliament here. That accounts for 32 of the representatives from Scotland. In addition to them, I am perfectly certain that, whatever differences there might be between the hon. Members below the gangway on this side and those of us who support the Government, on this question the 23 Liberal representatives from Scotland are at least unanimous on the principle of Scottish Home Rule. Having regard to that, and counting also the hon. Member for Dundee (Mr. Scrymgeour), at least the principle, if not every word of the Bill, is supported by 56 out of the 74 Scottish Members.

“This is not the first occasion on which a Scottish Home Rule Bill has been introduced into this House. In 1894 a Motion was moved by one of the Edinburgh Members, I think, and at that time it was agreed to by the House; in 1895 the hon. Member for Dumfries (Dr. Chapple), who was then the Member for one of the Stirlingshire divisions, moved a Motion in similar terms, which was adopted; in 1908 a Home Rule Bill was carried in this House by a fairly large majority, and again in 1911; and in 1920 Mr. Johnstone, then the hon. Member for East Renfrew, introduced a somewhat similar Bill to the one which I am introducing to-day, and on that occasion a sufficient number of Members did not vote for the Closure, but even then they showed a majority in favour of the principle of the Bill. For my part, I, therefore, call on many men who have gone before in the task of trying to bring to this House a problem to which every student of Scottish politics, every man and woman who has the commonweal of Scotland at heart, must give attention and serious thought.”

Despite support from Scottish MPs it was talked out by the Opposition.