8 Alloway Loan, Edinburgh, EH16 6XH

The Smith Commission Secretariat

Green Investment Bank

Atria One, Level 7

144 Morrison Street

Edinburgh EH3 8EX 3rd October 2014

Dear Lord Smith,

As you know the Scottish Socialist Party was one of three political parties to establish and lead the ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign. Six parties in total were formally engaged in the Independence Referendum over the past two years, three were on the Yes side – the SNP, Greens and the SSP - and three on the No side – Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

I am therefore extremely disappointed that your Commission has decided to uniquely exclude one party, ours, from the process now under way after the referendum to consider what further powers might be devolved to Holyrood. This approach does not in my opinion reflect well on your Commission’s integrity nor suggest the process is as democratic and inclusive as it ought to be.

In the instructions laid down for your Commission by Prime Minister David Cameron I note it asks you

‘To convene cross-party talks and facilitate an inclusive engagement process across Scotland to produce, by 30th November 2014, Heads of Agreement with recommendations for further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament. This process will be informed by a Command paper, to be published by 31 October and will result in the publication of draft clauses by 25 January. The recommendations will deliver more financial, welfare and tax raising powers, strengthening the Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom.’

I would suggest the Prime Minister’s explicit instructions are not reflected in your decision to exclude our party from this process. It is surely self-evident that excluding the Scottish Socialist Party from ‘cross-party talks’ is not exercising ‘an inclusive engagement’.

The argument some use to justify our exclusion on the grounds that we currently have no ‘Parliamentary representation’ fails to appreciate that the referendum was not a Parliamentary process but an unprecedented public debate that resulted in an extraordinary level of engagement from all sections of society.

I therefore ask that you to reconsider your decision to exclude the Scottish Socialist Party and extend to us the same rights offered to the 5 other parties formally engaged in this important debate.

I look forward to your earliest reply.

Yours sincerely

Colin Fox,

National spokesman, Scottish Socialist Party

FOR AN INDEPENDENT SOCIALIST SCOTLAND