ANY QUOTES USED MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO MURNAGHAN, SKY NEWS

DERMOT MURNAGHAN: I’m joined by Sir Ming Campbell, the Liberal Democrat MP from North East Fife, very good to see you, Sir Ming.   David Haines, should there be a specific response to his killing or should it all be part of the painstaking Obama plan that has really grown from the NATO summit?

SIR MING CAMPBELL:  Well in these circumstances people do look for instant reactions but I think that would be very unwise and indeed it is exactly what the murderers would like.  The Obama plan necessarily requires suitable and comprehensive support from regional powers, regional countries and it is that way, it seems to me, that we will the kind of authority, both legal and moral, if we want to take military action.  Any kind of military response unilaterally by the United Kingdom play into the hands of ISIS and allows them to shout once again this is just the old imperialist past still trying to influence us.

DM: Let us turn to Scottish independence and the offer of substantial devo max, a modern form of home rule Gordon Brown called it.  Let’s relate this to mean something, in your expertise if there were to be this devo max option here with Scottish MSPs voting on a whole range of financial powers in particular, how could they possibly then be allowed to vote on matters which affect English taxation.

SIR MING CAMPBELL:  Well let me take that in two pieces if I may.  First of all, whatever the result, whatever the outcome next Thursday, the United Kingdom will be changed because as you rightly say, the promise of the three main political parties is that there should be further powers to Scotland.  If you have further powers for Scotland along with the additional powers given to Northern Ireland and to Wales, then I think the case for people like me voting on English health and education is unsustainable.  What you  have to do is you have to accept that the game has changed very considerably.  My view is that the present constitutional settlement in the United Kingdom is probably unsustainable against the background of what we have just been discussing and the possible outcomes on Thursday and that being so, you have to recognise that there is a real case for England deciding what England wants.  If I can just pick up very briefly on this question of Manchester and cities,  go back and see what these great cities were capable of in Victorian times – Birmingham and Manchester and Newcastle, yes and Glasgow and Edinburgh too, set free from the restrictions of central government they could do a tremendous amount.  They had the responsibility but they also had the powers as well.  … It is not for me to tell England the form of devolution it should have, that is for the English but remember we are talking about taxation, it doesn’t have to be income tax.  In the United States a Federal system of government, States impose sales taxes or other taxes, so there are many ways in which you can raise the revenue. 

DM: And many questions being raised by what’s going on here in Scotland.  Sir Ming, thank you very much indeed.