STEPHEN DAISLEY: Holyrood has had its chance… if we must have devolution, put the power in the hands of local authorities
In an opinion column, Daily Mail columnist Stephen Daisley argues that the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood has failed to justify continued centralisation of devolved power, contending that if devolution is to continue in any form, authority should be transferred away from Holyrood and down to local authorities instead. The piece frames this as a critique of the Scottish Parliament's record since devolution began, suggesting that decision-making closer to communities would serve Scots better than the current model concentrated in Edinburgh.
The article text supplied consists largely of Daily Mail site navigation and unrelated headline links rather than the full body of Daisley's column, so specific supporting arguments, statistics or examples he cites could not be extracted. The core position conveyed by the title is that devolution to Holyrood has not delivered, and that genuine localism—empowering councils rather than a national Scottish government—would be the preferable alternative if devolved governance is to persist.
- Columnist says Holyrood devolution has failed to deliver
- Argues power should shift to local councils instead
- Full article text was not available for detailed summary