A GLOBAL expert who appeared on a recent TNT show warned that climate change is a threat to the survival of the world. On last Wednesday’s show, Julian Caldecott cautioned that we may reach a point at mid-century where ecological damage is irreversible. A real extinction level event could then occur for mankind and other species.

Why should we all listen to Julian? For one thing he has audited €10 billions of aid programs. He is also a much sought-after climate change advisor to the EC, Denmark and Switzerland – to name just a few.

Interestingly, Julian would also like to see a new Scottish Constitution contain an Article on “Peace with Nature”. The Article would declare the end of “war” against nature and seek co-operation with like-minded peoples and governments. In practical terms, it would establish a Court of Ecology, the role of which would be to decide, on behalf of the country’s citizens, whether any law is safely compatible with ecological sustainability and possessing the power to strike down if not.

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Now, constitutional purists would likely point to a few difficulties with this idea; and Julian makes no pretence to be a constitutional expert. But it does make sense to many, I suspect that, if governments are truly serious about making a success of COP26, then why not make this the highest importance on a state’s list of must do.

Julian Caldecott is supporter of Scottish independence, and he is full of praise for the climate change efforts being made by the Scottish Government. He thinks that small countries, owing to their versatility, have a special role in showing larger states the way forward. He cites the example of Costa Rica, where several progressive programs are underway. (Anyone who wants to know more can access his TNT show interview on YouTube.) Now turning from the sublime to the truly ridiculous. Westminster remains deeply mired in corruption. Boris Johnson managed to make a complete fool of himself at COP26 by upholding his government’s record on sleaze and venality. As he persisted in trying to defend the indefensible, he reminded us of the old quote: “The louder he talked of his honour, the faster we counted our spoons.”

His administration is now a byword for corruption. Each day brings a new revelation of dishonesty at Westminster. Many Tory MPs have become little more than swindlers and frauds, with their snouts totally into the public trough. Worse, when caught they show little remorse. A growing number evidently regard the rules of conduct to which they agreed to bound, as a mere inconvenience.

The stench of corruption has become so persistent that even some Scottish Tory MPs, ever insensitive to government misconduct, have become ill at ease.

Tory MPs look to their boss for guidance and support, so they were cheered when he showed that he would side with offenders, even if it meant junking the rules. Public opinion was not so sanguine about immoral conduct and Johnson was forced to reconsider.

Now that Westminster is set on the slippery slope to greater immorality it is doubtful we have seen the last of excess and unethical behaviour. The main reason is the lack of effective supervision of MP’s conduct; and this in turn stems from the fact that the UK parliament regards itself as sovereign.

It cannot brook any real supervision. Even if, under duress, it did agree to some form of supervision it can just as easily ignore or overturn these constraints – as recent events have demonstrated.

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In most civilised countries, legislators are not sovereign in this sense. They are bound by a written, codified constitution that regulates their conduct, as well as that of others. If they wish to chuck off these constraints, they cannot merely call the prime minister for a helping hand. They must modify the constitution, and this means consulting with voters and even then, the changes may require a substantial majority to vote in support.

It is unlikely that even Tory MPs could bring themselves to place before a sovereign people an amendment to the Constitution that permitted them to rob and cheat their own constituents.

Luckily for them, the British constitution is whatever the government of the day, with a working majority, says it is. So, they don’t need voter’s approval to rob the public purse. Theoretically, they could choose to make lawful that black is white and evil is good. While they may shrink from this excess, they have been happy to suspend the rules, give contracts to their mates, and lobby for special arrangements in return for large fees – all the while pleading poverty.

An independent Scotland can, and must, do better.

Award-winning journalist, Iain Bruce, is Wednesday’s guest on the TNT show. Join us at 7pm on IndyLive