Warning Over Holyrood Powers

Gordon Brown warns of 'lethal cocktail' of Conservative proposals to devolve 100% of income tax and restrict Scots rights to vote in UK on income tax.

The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP says they could drive a wedge between Scotland and England, and the Union could not survive long as one UK with two classes of representation.

He's accused the Conservatives of 'playing fast and loose' with the constitution and says they should rise above partisan considerations. 

Mr Brown will publish his submission today to the House of Commons constitutional committee in which he says we must not fall into 'the Tory trap' - which is to offer 100% devolution of income tax to Scotland and then to deprive Scottish MPs of voting on income tax issues in the UK Parliament. 

He's calling on the Conservatives to rule out any suggestions that 100% income tax devolution is a Trojan horse for an even more extreme follow up policy for Scottish fiscal autonomy in place of the sharing of resources across the UK. 

A Commons debate will be held tomorrow followed by a debate on Thursday where Gordon Brown will present a 110,000-signature petition calling on the Tories to change their plans. 

In his submission Brown says that the Conservative plan to devolve all income tax decisions creates an unstable Union because it would mean English, Welsh and Northern Irish citizens would be paying their UK income taxes for common UK services, including Scottish services and funding the Barnett formula ,but Scots would not pay UK income tax - and he says that no federal regime in the world that  he is aware of devolves 100% of national income tax.

Mr Brown said: '"Countries can be lost by accident and even when the majority are for them, Unions can disintegrated because of mistakes. 

"Taken together these two Conservative proposals for Scotland are a lethal cocktail which drive a wedge between Scotland and England, are exactly the springboard for separation the nationalists want and  deal a potentially fatal blow to the maintenance  of the union. They should be withdrawn because With the added plan to restrict scottish representation in the UK the devolution of 100% of income tax Is 100% wrong. 

"Labours proposals to devolve some  - around 75% -  but not all of income tax are far more robust than Conservative plans  Labours  proposals that devolve 75 per cent of income tax avoid this  Conservative trap and taken together with the devolution of 50 per cent  of VAT revenues the  proposals would create the accountability we want from the Scottish Parliament without threatening the UK and give the Scottish Parliament  tax powers to raise 54% of what the parliament spends in 2016, the year of implementation. Today the Scottish Parliament is responsible for raising taxes for £4billion of its spending. By 2016 under these plans they would be responsible for £18billion.

"Under these, the Scottish Parliament  would receive around £7.5billion in income tax revenues, and £5.5billion in VAT receipts

"And my proposals involve 14 new powers for the Scottish Parliament including  areas of Transport  employment, social care, housing benefit and land use.  I hope the Conservative Party will step up to the plate and agree that the extension of powers should now  include powers they have resisted or been silent on - the work programme, borrowing for investment,  the Crown Estates and further devolution in rail well as administration of employment ,health and safety and equalities laws. 

"In this way  the demand for a stronger Scottish Parliament is met without risking the unity of the UK that the Scottish public have  supported. In contrast to the SNP demands To the Smith  commission to end UK pensions, End UK child benefit and tax credits and end the UK welfare state and of course end   the UK Barnett formula,  we  support and uphold  the pooling and sharing of risks and resources across the UK. 

"And I believe that Scottish people would welcome an  agreement around the transfers of The 14 powers I have listed which can happen within the UK and without breaking it apart."