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Scottish independence: Ex-civil servant Jim Gallagher joins Better Together Scottish independence: Ex-civil servant Jim Gallagher joins Better Together
(35 minutes later)
A former senior civil servant has been recruited to advise the official campaign to keep the Union, ahead of the Scottish independence referendum. A former civil servant is to help the pro-Union Better Together campaign to "unpick and explain" the powers of the current devolved settlement.
Better Together said that one of Prof Jim Gallagher's key roles would be to advise on "policy and strategy". Prof Jim Gallagher is now working for the organisation ahead of September's independence referendum.
He had previously worked closely on devolution matters at Whitehall. Earlier this week, Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged the Unionist parties to outline their vision in the event of a no vote.
The referendum on will be held on Thursday, 18 September when voters will be asked the "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country/" Prof Gallagher said he was "happy to help" those parties do that.
However, in an interview with BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning programme, he said that "in the first instance" it was up to Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories to produce their own policies.
Prof Gallagher told presenter James Naughtie: "All of the parties in this campaign are looking at these issues.
"They have got a lot of work to do - I am happy to help them in that. But the lesson they learned from the last time they did this, very successfully, is that if they work together they can produce material that works and we have that already in the Scotland Act."
The fresh piece of legislation comes into being in 2016 and will allow MSPs to set income tax rates in Scotland and enable Holyrood to borrow more money.
The coalition government at Westminster said it represented the biggest transfer of fiscal power to Scotland in more than 300 years.
But the Scottish government believed the bill was a missed opportunity.
The referendum on Scottish independence will be held on Thursday, 18 September when voters will be asked the "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"
Prof Gallagher, a career civil servant who is now a research fellow, also headed a Scottish Executive department.Prof Gallagher, a career civil servant who is now a research fellow, also headed a Scottish Executive department.
He served as secretary to the Calman Commission, the body set up in 2007 to review the first decade of the Scottish Parliament.He served as secretary to the Calman Commission, the body set up in 2007 to review the first decade of the Scottish Parliament.
And he has also been advising Labour on the issue of a strengthened devolved parliament within the Union.And he has also been advising Labour on the issue of a strengthened devolved parliament within the Union.
Prof Gallagher said he would assist Better Together in putting forward a positive, persuasive case for the Union.Prof Gallagher said he would assist Better Together in putting forward a positive, persuasive case for the Union.
He will help co-ordinate thinking about Scotland's place in the wider UK and possible further powers for Holyrood - but has stressed that was a matter in the first instance for individual parties. Ms Sturgeon believes that the pro-Union campaign must set out in detail what a "no" vote in the independence referendum would mean for the country.
Earlier this week, Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the pro-Union campaign must set out in detail what a "no" vote in the independence referendum would mean for the country.
She said the Scottish government had provided "a compelling case for independence" in its White Paper.She said the Scottish government had provided "a compelling case for independence" in its White Paper.
Unionists must respond with a competing vision, she added.Unionists must respond with a competing vision, she added.