You know that something is really happening north of the border if its makes it onto the BBC Today Programme.
Today to muffled trumpets in a dreech capital the much-trailed Calman Commission finally reported on extending devolution devo-max or damp squib depending on your point of view.
Calman recommends Scotland should have greater powers over income tax which would make its government more accountable. But the ability to vary the tax balance is not to be in the gift of Holyrood they can’t tax the rich until the tartan pips squeak no matter how much they’d like to.
According to Calman, the Scots would also get powers over some other taxes including air passenger duty, stamp duty land tax, the aggregates levy and landfill tax. Limited fiscal autonomy for beginners?
In return, Scotland would lose some of its current block grant. So it could well be the beginning of the end to the Barnett formula criticised by some for being over generous to us Scots.
But its still not Scotland’s oil despite the best efforts of journalists at the launch seeking better clarity on the oil question. Oil revenues will flow to Westminster not Holyrood.
Comment from the political commentators has been predictable journalists yawns were being only just stifled.
From the political parties, the governing SNP has been less churlish than some would have predicted in their response according to their Minister for the Constitution or Independence Tsar Mike Russell, he would welcome any extra powers for Scotland. But swiftly added the sting that: "full fiscal autonomy has the great benefit of allowing the Scottish Parliament to make its decisions based on a range of taxation – not just income tax, which is a very blunt instrument." So for them it’s better than nothing but not as good as they want.
For the Tories, Calman is the cement in the union; Labour considered it œbold and progressive and the Lib Dems cheered the blueprint as taking us towards a home rule settlement.
But, it could be argued, if it was right to have asked the Scottish people in 1998 if they wanted a Parliament and at the same time ask if they wanted tax varying powers surely it is also right to now ask if they want to further change the setup if the plans really are a far reaching, radical and a realistic response to a decade of devolution.