Christina spoke in the debate on 30 April 2009.

“I note with interest that Italy is devolving taxation and borrowing powers to its regional Governments in a move that has been described as fiscal federalism. Italy started its devolution process after we did, with its 20 regions gaining power over health, education and welfare provision in 2001, but it is moving ahead of us in financial devolution. How embarrassing it is that we started first but have turned out to be the tortoise rather than the hare. Adding taxation powers to the already strong toolbox that the Italian regions have gives them the opportunity to become economic powerhouses, altering income and expenditure to suit local economic conditions and increasing their opportunities to exploit their resources and deliver for their peoples.

The contrast with our position could not be more stark. We have no power to borrow money and no means of altering the tax system to give our businesses an advantage or give our people a break to make their lives better. We have no way to raise additional moneys to pay for improved services and no way to lever in extra financing for better services. Worst of all, though, is that we must cope with the intolerable burden of UK incompetence, with a Labour Prime Minister who cannot even remember when he is supposed to make a statement and a chancellor who claimed recently that he could see the green shoots of recovery and then proceeded to pour economic weedkiller on those green shoots before they had a chance to break the surface.”

Read the full text of Christina’s speech at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0430-02.htm#Col17022