A timetable for change

Mandy Rhodes: Do you feel triumphant about the win, even though just less than half of the voters wanted to leave the UK?

Nick Clegg: I am pleased that Scots chose to remain part of the United Kingdom family but this is not a time for triumphalism. It is a time to reflect on the referendum result and get on with the job of delivering the change that people in Scotland want to see.

We are now working to deliver new powers for Scotland within the UK. This is an opportunity and a process that I hope will bring together people of all parties and none.

MR: Despite the win for No, did Westminster take too long to react to growing support for Yes and then it all felt a bit last minute from you with a selection of bribes?

NC: My party has long argued for Scottish Home Rule and Sir Menzies Campbell set out the Liberal Democrat blueprint to achieve that back in October 2012. Whilst I think the narrowing of the polls in the final weeks may have focussed some minds, it is no secret that my party wants to see a reformed, stronger Scotland within the UK. Other parties also put forward their proposals before the referendum campaign. What we published during the campaign was a timetable for delivery.

MR: Given federalism has been a long-stated aim of the Liberal Democrats, do you think the party could have pushed harder for a ‘devo-max’ option on the ballot paper?

NC: The SNP had a mandate in the 2011 elections to hold a referendum specifically on independence. All sides agreed that the referendum on Scottish independence had to be fair, legal and decisive. A third question on an ill-defined proposition would have muddied the waters and potentially opened the result to legal challenge. Now that people in Scotland have said clearly that they want to remain part of the UK we can get on with delivering more powers.

MR: As long advocates of Home Rule, what role did you take in persuading Labour and the Tories to basically sign up to the same with the extra powers pledge?

NC: The Liberal Democrats were first out the blocks with our plans for more powers and we are pleased that other parties have followed suit. Labour and the Conservatives have their own ideas on what more powers should look like, but ultimately we are agreed that change is needed.

MR: What will the SNP’s role be in agreeing those further powers?

NC: We have always said that there is a role for the SNP in this process. In the past they have chosen to sit out on cross-party talks for powers for Scotland. I hope this time round they will accept the result of the referendum and work constructively to deliver change.

MR: A central aspect of the arguments for and against independence has been about what is best placed to tackle inequality. If that has been a driving force behind the unprecedented voter engagement, how can you meet that call?

NC: In government, the Liberal Democrats have already fought to lift hundreds of thousands of families out of paying income tax altogether, cut income tax for millions more, increase free childcare provision, introduce free school meals and reform and boost pensions so that people are given the chances they need to get on in life. We are taking radical steps to tackle inequality and will continue to do so in order to build the fairer society we all wish to see.
Contrast our action of delivery right now with the SNP White Paper proposals where there were vague words about tackling inequality and no detail on how it would be paid for.

MR: Given that there is significant support for both Yes and No so half the country will be disappointed, what do you plan to do to help bring the country back together?

NC: Our plan for more powers will deliver the meaningful change that many wish to see, giving Scotland more control over its domestic agenda whilst continuing to share risk and reward across the UK. This is a golden opportunity for radical reform which I hope everyone will embrace. I hope all sides of the debate will contribute to Lord Smith’s Commission on more powers.

MR: As a Lib Dem you must be delighted by level of political engagement but do you think politicians know what to do with it once they’ve got it? It seems democracy in the raw can be a bit frightening for politicians not used to protests, shouting and the odd jostle…

NC: I think Liberal Democrats are used to the grassroots politics of town hall debates and street campaigns – it is what we are known for in our local areas. Of course the referendum campaign saw this on a much larger nationwide scale but our challenge is to build on that interest and engagement and urge people to take a role in shaping Scotland’s future within the UK.

MR: Would you expect similar passions to come to the fore for any in/out EU referendum

NC: People will always feel strongly about any issue that affects their family, their job or their hopes for the future. That’s why the debate over Scotland’s place in the UK and the UK’s place in the EU matter so much. Ultimately, they are about building a better future – generating jobs, growth and opportunities.  Whatever your view is on our membership of the EU - and I’m in favour of the UK staying in a reformed EU - the key thing is to respect each other’s views and not shout people down if you don’t agree with them.

MR: Apart from the heightened interest in politics, the referendum debate has been healthy in terms of us having to think about the shape of a society we would like to live in, what kind of Britain would you like to see emerge over the next 10 years and how do you intend to do it?

NC: As part of the Coalition, the Liberal Democrats are taking the steps towards building a stronger economy and a fairer society so that everyone has the chance they deserve to get on in life. I want to see a fairer society where families get the help they need with childcare, where young people can benefit from training and apprenticeships and where people can find jobs to support their families.

MR: One of the flaws in the Better Together approach was that if we are Better Together then why are things not better together right now. How were you able to answer that?

NC: The United Kingdom family of nations provides the best foundations upon which to build greater opportunity and a fairer society. I am proud of things like the NHS, the BBC and the world-leading aid budget that we have built together.

There is always more that can be done to create a better, fairer society. But in the last four years we have delivered an £800 tax cut to more than two million Scots on low and middle incomes. We have given families thousands of pounds of support to help meet the cost of childcare, achieving all this while dealing with the fallout from the biggest economic shock in decades. We are better together now, and moving forward.

MR: How can Scots trust you to deliver more powers when history has taught us that politicians don’t always do what they say they will do?

NC: People only have to visit Holyrood where the Scottish Parliament has stood for over fifteen years. This was delivered by the same parties which, in the Scotland Act 2012, unlocked the greatest transfer of fiscal powers in over 300 years. Now it’s time for us to take the next steps and give people more control and freedom to define their nation’s future.

MR: The referendum debate has thrown up lots of challenges to the rest of the UK including the concentration of wealth and power in London – London accounts for 30 per cent of the UK’s GDP – do you recognise that imbalance and the dangers inherent within it and do you plan any recalibration of the economy?

NC: The Liberal Democrats have always believed that we need to shift power away from London to cities across the UK. Our City Deals are giving places like Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester more power and flexibility to boost economic growth and deliver opportunities for their local communities. One of my main priorities in government is to oversee the government’s drive to rebalancing the economy and I want to see all parts of our United Kingdom thrive, not just a square mile in London.

MR: What will you say to conference about the referendum?

NC: This is the time for Liberal Democrats to push ahead with shifting powers from Westminster to Holyrood and across the UK. We have believed in Home Rule for over a century and a No vote gives us the opportunity to deliver the change we know the majority of people in Scotland wish to see.

MR: What next for Alex Salmond do you think?

NC: For many years, Alex Salmond has been an effective communicator and a talented politician. I’m sure he still has a huge amount to offer Scotland in his role as an MSP.