SNP MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, John Mason, has commented on today’s debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Scotland Bill and the changes it makes to the Scottish Parliament’s powers.

Mr Mason, who is a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Scotland Bill committee, said that, important though these changes were, the debate about Scotland’s future had now “moved on dramatically” since the UK Government first put forward the bill.

Commenting from the Scottish Parliament, the Glasgow MSP, John Mason, said:

“Today’s debate at Holyrood was about a piece of Westminster legislation making relatively minor changes to the Scottish Parliament’s powers.

“While I would welcome any measure of increased autonomy for Scotland, I think everyone understands that the bill does not bring forward the radical change most of us would like to see, or address the real question which Scotland itself will decide on in two years’ time – the question of independence.

“There are specific powers which would have benefited the East End. For example, control over Corporation Tax could have attracted more companies and more jobs; and better borrowing powers would have let us build much needed homes together with the jobs that would have brought. However, the UK Government remains unwilling to pass these powers to Scottish control.

“Scotland is on a journey, I believe, to independence and the UK Government obviously has a long way to go before they catch up on the reality of that.”