Referendum (Scotland) Bill Committee
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REFERENDUM (SCOTLAND) BILL COMMITTEE Thursday 30 May 2013 Session 4 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.scottish.parliament.uk or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 30 May 2013 CONTENTS Col. SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM BILL: STAGE 1 ................................................................................. 465 REFERENDUM (SCOTLAND) BILL COMMITTEE 15th Meeting 2013, Session 4 CONVENER *Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP) DEPUTY CONVENER *James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab) COMMITTEE MEMBERS *Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP) Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride) (SNP) *Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab) *Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) *Annabel Goldie (West Scotland) (Con) *Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) *Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP) *Stuart McMillan (West Scotland) (SNP) *Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) *attended THE FOLLOWING ALSO PARTICIPATED: Colin Borland (Federation of Small Businesses) Dennis Canavan (Yes Scotland) John Downie (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) Craig Harrow (Better Together) Blair Jenkins (Yes Scotland) Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) (Committee Substitute) Blair McDougall (Better Together) Professor Aileen McHarg (University of Strathclyde) Euan Page (Equality and Human Rights Commission) Bill Scott (Inclusion Scotland) Kyle Thornton (Scottish Youth Parliament) CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE Andrew Mylne LOCATION Committee Room 1 465 30 MAY 2013 466 process. I hand over to Dennis Canavan for his Scottish Parliament remarks. Referendum (Scotland) Bill Dennis Canavan (Yes Scotland): Convener, thank you for inviting us. I chair the advisory board Committee of Yes Scotland, which consists of about a dozen members from various backgrounds such as Thursday 30 May 2013 politics, the business community, media and entertainment. Yes Scotland is a broad-based, [The Convener opened the meeting at 09:15] inclusive organisation, and that is reflected in the membership of our advisory board, which includes Scottish Independence people from different political parties and people Referendum Bill: Stage 1 who are not members of any political party. We are more of an advisory committee than an The Convener (Bruce Crawford): I remind executive committee. Our job is to advise the chief everyone to switch off their mobile phones. We executive and the management team on matters have had apologies from Linda Fabiani, and Bill about the yes Scotland campaign. I look forward to Kidd is attending in her place. Stuart McMillan has this evidence session. to leave after the first panel for a private Craig Harrow (Better Together): Convener, I engagement. thank you and the committee for inviting my Patrick Harvie wants to say something at this colleague Blair McDougall and me along this stage. morning. On behalf of Better Together, we welcome the opportunity to give evidence to the Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): Convener, I committee. The rules and regulations governing do not think that this is a formal registrable any electoral contest are, of course, important but interest, and I do not think that it will come as a they are of heightened importance in a once-in-a- surprise to committee members, but in the interest lifetime referendum on an irreversible decision of transparency I put it on the record that I am a such as dissolving a 300-year-old union. We all member of the advisory board of Yes Scotland. have a duty to ensure that we deliver a result that The Convener: Thank you. is not only fair but seen to be fair. This is the fourth of the five meetings in which For our part, we have striven to act in a the committee will take oral evidence at stage 1 of transparent manner. We supported the the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill. I involvement of the Electoral Commission and its welcome the first panel of witnesses. From Yes rules as a matter of principle from the outset. Scotland we have Dennis Canavan, who is the Better Together was the first campaign to release chair of the advisory board, and Blair Jenkins details of our donors and we have decided not OBE, who is the chief executive. From Better only to meet the normal standards of electoral law Together we have Blair McDougall, campaign but to go further by banning any foreign donations director, and Craig Harrow, the director. I to our campaign. Better Together considers the understand that Blair Jenkins and Craig Harrow sensible recommendations from the Electoral would like to make short opening statements, and Commission to be a big step forward in ensuring Dennis Canavan wants to say something after that we have fair referendum rules. As the they have both had the chance to say their piece. committee would expect, we have followed its discussions and we are pleased that the work Blair Jenkins (Yes Scotland): Thank you, continues to ensure that the process of the convener. It is a great pleasure to be here this referendum is properly scrutinised. morning. As you say, Dennis Canavan will talk a little bit about Yes Scotland’s advisory board. We have been particularly interested in the discussions about permitted participants. It is We are delighted to be taking part in this important to us that dummy organisations are not process. We share the aspiration of every member established and that campaigning groups properly of the committee that we should have a good account for expenditure in the regulated period. referendum process. We are acutely aware of the We want to ensure that there is clarity on which historical importance of the referendum for groups are formal accounting units of our Scotland and the Scottish people. We are organisation. In that way, regulators and the media determined to run the kind of positive campaign will know which organisations are part of Better that will engage and enthuse people in Scotland, Together for the purposes of recording and I am sure that that aspiration, again, is shared expenditure and which are not and so would be by all members of the committee and both considered as other participants. In simple terms, campaigns. We are pleased to be part of this we are operating one accounting unit. In other words, our women’s; lesbian, gay, bisexual and 467 30 MAY 2013 468 transgender; rural; youth; business; and trade The Convener: Okay. I needed to put that on union groups will not set up separate bank the record, because concerns have been raised in accounts or separate funding vehicles. We are evidence, particularly given the experience in happy to discuss that issue or any other issue with Wales. I am glad that you have clarified matters. the committee. James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab): I thank the The Convener: Thank you, Craig. witnesses for coming to the meeting to give us evidence. I want to ask both campaign groups about an issue that has arisen during our evidence taking— I note from your earlier comments that your the situation that arose in Wales, where only one organisations intend to be the lead organisations body decided to define itself as a designated for each side of the argument. I think that that organisation. My question is simple. Do you intend makes great sense. It will place a great to apply for designated organisation status? Are responsibility on you in relation to how you there any circumstances in which you would conduct the campaigns and how you account for envisage not applying for that status? your expenditure. It is clear that there is a limit of £1.5 million for each lead organisation, and within Blair Jenkins: We will certainly apply to be the that you will have to account for each item of designated campaign organisation campaigning expenditure over £200. That will be a major for the yes vote. In fact, we would welcome early operation for each campaign. What accounting designation as the official yes campaign policies and practices will you put in place to organisation. ensure that that is done correctly and in Blair McDougall (Better Together): Absolutely. compliance with the regulations? I cannot envisage any circumstances in which we Blair McDougall: On the steps that we have would not seek to be the designated official taken, we have tried to ensure that there is clarity organisation. Indeed, Blair Jenkins and I talked on which organisations are part of Better Together outside about our wish to have early designation, if for accounting purposes so that there is also possible, so that everybody is clear about where clarity on which organisations are not part of it. It is both campaigns stand. clear that the issues around permitted participants The Convener: You both talked about early and co-ordination arise from the issue of an designation. What do you mean by that? organisation being separate for the purposes of the overall amount of money that it is allowed to Blair McDougall: In theory, designation will be spend, but then being co-ordinated with the main a short time before the start of the regulated organisation. Notwithstanding the cross-party period, in June. I think that the Electoral nature of things and the individual parties having Commission has expressed an interest in looking their own spending limits, we are trying to give at whether early designation would be possible, clarity on which organisations are formally part of and I presume that that would be some time Better Together. earlier than that, in 2013. From my point of view and that of Better Together, the sooner the As Craig Harrow pointed out, we are trying to designation, the better, because it will give ensure that the various organisations, which are certainty about status. politically autonomous, are not separate in terms of accounting. We do not want to get to the Blair Jenkins: I think that the Electoral regulated period and find that we cannot account Commission has its own processes to go through, for X thousand pounds that has been spent in our which we have to respect.