Alistair Darling MP and Gordon Brown MP, the leader of the Better Together campaign and the former Prime Minister respectively, have lodged a motion at Westminster along with others demanding that a basic agreement is published by the end of November.
Mark Lazarowicz MP for Edinburgh North and Leith has welcomed the publication of the parliamentary motion which he believes sets out a clear timetable.
The Motion in the name of the leaders of the three main UK parties as well as Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown says
That this House welcomes the result of the Scottish independence referendum and the decision of the people of Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom; recognises that people across Scotland voted for a Union based on the pooling and sharing of resources and for the continuation of devolution inside the United Kingdom; notes the statement by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition regarding the guarantee of and timetable for further devolution to Scotland; calls on the Government to lay before Parliament a Command Paper including the proposals of all three UK political parties by 30 October and to consult widely with the Scottish people, civic Scotland and the Scottish Parliament on these proposals; and further calls on the Government to publish heads of agreement by the end of November and draft clauses for the new Scotland Bill by the end of January 2015.
It will be the subject of a debate in the UK Parliament on 16th October led by Gordon Brown.
Mark said: “I welcome the publication of the Motion with a clear timetable: there must be no delay in the transfer of new powers to the Scottish Parliament.
“This Motion sets out how this is to be done with full consultation with the Scottish people, civil society and the Scottish Parliament.
“People in Scotland voted decisively to remain within the United Kingdom, a diverse and multi-national state, where powers should be devolved but the Scottish people can still benefit from being part of the UK.”
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