A Single Market?

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"4.43 As well as a political Union, the UK is also a deeply integrated economic Union. This has its origins in the customs Union and the currency Union that were central to the 1707 Treaty. Over the centuries since then, the UK has developed into well-integrated single market in goods, services, labour, capital and knowledge."

- Calman Commission, First Report, Page 33

"6.39 As the Independent Expert Group notes, goods, capital and services are constantly being traded across the United Kingdom's internal borders. Tax devolution has potential for disruption to that trade, but this has to be balanced against other considerations."

- Calman Commission, First Report, Page 66

The implication is clear. Only with the "union" can we access to markets in other parts of the UK. However that wasn't the driving force behind a section of those who voted for the "union". It was access to the colonial markets. Even the UK Parliament's own website says as such.

"Scots hoped for a union 'of trade' with vital access to English colonial markets"

The single market we are talking about grew into this.


And has now shrunk to this.


So since the "union" no longer provides this larger single market what does? Answer. The European Economic Area and the Single European market.

The EEA, based around the EU, is in the words of Calman "a single market in goods, services, labour, capital and knowledge".

As it says it has developed and is developing:

• A Single Market for Goods


• A Single Market for Services


• A Single Labour Market


• A Single Market for Capital

And as for "knowledge" Calman stretches the imagination by suggesting that we need to send 59 Parliamentarians to Westminster to get access to this.

Considering the EU/EEA is now the single market that operates for Scotland that poses the question of why it is not even mentioned in the Commission's report?

However that would presuppose it was acting to secure what was best for Scotland. But it isn't. It is to protect the "union".

If it did address the real single market that Scotland operates in it would have to address how that single market is constructed constitutionally for the countries within it.

Since it is a union of sovereign countries it would mean Calman would have to consider Scotland as one of those sovereign countries.

It would mean the Commission would have to concede that you can have a union of unity and a single market and that would mean an end to the singular sovereignty that is held at Westminster. An end to the "union" which benefits the parties who want to have power there.