ONE of Donald Dewar's key advisers has come out in support of independence.

Duncan Maclennan, a professor of public policy at Glasgow University, told the Sunday Times that he no longer believed federalism would happen. 

He praised the "honesty" of Andrew Wilson's Growth Commission report and said Brexit made it "unlikely that a well-managed Britain will be a safe haven for Scots over the next 30 years".

The news will be a blow to Labour. Maclennan was a central policy figure in the early days of devolution, advising Dewar, Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell.

Writing in the paper, he said the “best first constitutional move in a very uncertain world is to seek Scottish independence”.

The former special adviser paid tribute to Gordon Brown’s “long advocated clear-minded measures to reduce poverty and exclusion and encourage growing and sharing within a federal government”.

He wrote: “An effective strengthening and intensification of devolution to Scotland and other regions, localities and communities would meet many of my notions of how to run Scotland.”

But, he added, ”I no longer believe that it will occur.”

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Maclennan also criticised the Internal Market Bill, and the Treasury’s unwillingness to devolve borrowing powers to Scotland. 

“Small local authorities in parts of the OECD have more borrowing capacity than Scotland as a whole,” he said.

“Now the Prime Minister, who made much political capital using the devolved powers of the Greater London Authority, has made clear he believes devolution to Scotland was a mistake. The wisdom and efforts of John Smith and Donald Dewar, and all those who drove the constitutional convention, have been devalued and dismissed by a blow-hard prime minister.”

He added: “Brexit means fair trade, strong global connection and openness that welcomes people from overseas are being frustrated for Scots and Scotland and foreclosed against our wishes. 

“Rather than facing the changing global connections in our lives through stronger local and community actions, elitism, incompetence and unelected arrogance have become the hallmarks of the British government. It seems unlikely that a well-managed Britain will be a safe haven for Scots over the next 30 years.”

Maclennan continued: “When I listen to many younger and able Scots debate creativity, wellbeing, community wealth-building, inclusion and sustainability, I recognise an energy and commitment to better goals that rural communities, towns and cities in Scotland can achieve.

"The compassion and creativity I hear in meeting after meeting seems much more important for our future than the contingent and confused flows of resources and support from the British government.

"The strong collective identity and the creative energy of young Scots are a better foundation for the future than defending the Barnett formula for ever.

"I have not, in the past, advocated Scottish Independence. As a democrat, I believe it is fundamentally important that there is another independence referendum.

"Andrew Wilson’s Sustainable Growth Commission report imparted a new professional honesty to the economics of independence and recognised the depths of the fiscal challenges a new Scotland might face. Covid-19 emphasises how steep that climb will be.

"At least it will be a climb rather than another austere crawl.

“Scotland can strengthen its international connections, it has strong institutions and communities and it seems to have the creative drive to embrace more sustainable and fairer futures than does the likely Westminster-Whitehall realm for the decade ahead.

"I now believe our best first constitutional move in an uncertain world is to seek Scottish independence.”

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman, added: “Scottish Labour will continue to oppose the damage that Scottish independence would do to the people of Scotland and the deep austerity that would follow in its wake. We need a period of healing, not stoking old divisions.”