Well, the past week has certainly been a long and interesting one for the constitutional debate in Scotland. It started on Monday morning with a Stephen Dorrell interview in 'The Scotsman' newspaper. Dorrell, who's portfolio is the Ministry for Health, was given a brief for the constitution last summer but his opinions in The Scotsman and the subsequent interviews on his 'gaffe' showed he is out of his depth when it comes to Scottish politics.

His comments made clear that the Tories would abolish a future devolved Scottish Assembly - and made apparent the deep rift within the Tory Cabinet and the state of total disarray the Tories are in when it comes to the Scottish constitution. Dorrell directly contradicted Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth who has famously said a Scottish Assembly isn't "just for Christmas", it is forever, but appeared to be supported by Welsh Secretary William Hague who soon let it be known that he also favours scrapping a future Scottish - and Welsh -parliament.

No one is any doubt that if a future Tory government wanted to, they could and would abolish a Scottish Assembly - in exactly the same way as Thatcher abolished the Greater London Council and English metropolitan authorities in the 1980s. It is abundantly clear that a devolved assembly would not be safe in Westminster's hands, and that only an independent Parliament can entrench the sovereignty of the Scottish people.

New Labour try to put about the myth that it is possible to entrench a Scottish assembly within the British constitution. But that lie was nailed when New Labour's Scottish spin doctor Henry McLeish said that the prospect of an assembly surviving a Tory government is a 'facade'.

McLeish admitted that an assembly would be a creature of the Westminster system, and could be swept away at the stroke of a legislative pen in London. He knows that Tony Blair's rigged referendum would not make the slightest difference to securing the position of a devolved assembly and that the entire basis on which Labour justify their referendum policy is a nonsense - and all this by the end of Monday!

Tuesday brought a new twist to the week when John Major sacked Stephen Dorrell for stating the truth and revealing the Tories' anti-Scottish agenda. But sidelining Dorrell for giving the game away will not undo the damage that has been done to what little remains of Tory support north of the Border.

Then Thursday arrived and John Major announced he would be leading a debate on the constitution next week, with William Hague and Michael Forsyth in supporting roles. Friday and the end of the working week, saw Major attacking constitutional change in Scotland in a speech to Tories in Wales. Of course he made a huge blunder when he talked about a thousand years of 'British history', even though British history started in 1707 and not 997.

Major's gaffe ended a week in the same way it started. A desperate and panicky Tory MP who knows nothing about Scotland and who cares less, showing his ignorance about Scottish history, Scottish politics, and the needs and desires of the Scottish people.

Alex Salmond MP
Leader
Scottish National Party

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Alex Salmond is the Member ofParliament for Banff & Buchan and is leader of the SNP. An economist aged 42 , he is widely regarded as one of the most effective Scottish politicans of his generation.

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If you would like to know more about the SNP and HELP SCOTLAND contact snp.hq@snp.org.uk or visit the official the Scottish National Party web site.

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