AN influential group of leading figures from Scottish public life is calling for more powers to be given to the Holyrood parliament.

Politicians, businessmen, church leaders, artists and academics are backing a re- examination of the devolution settlement to make MSPs more accountable.

Nicol Stephen, deputy first minister, Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, and Henry McLeish, former first minister, are among those who believe that the Scotland Act should be reopened.

Others include David Watt, director of the Institute of Directors Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of the Catholic church in Scotland, and Sir Bernard Crick, one of Britain’s leading constitutional experts. Academics backing the call for more powers for Holyrood include Robert Wright, professor of economics at Strathclyde University.

From the arts world supporters include Sir Sean Connery, the actor, Edwin Morgan, the national poet, Alan McGee, the record producer, John Byrne, the writer and artist, Stuart Cosgrove, the Channel 4 executive, and Bernard MacLaverty, the novelist.

There is support among some for decisions about corporation tax, abortion, the licensing of some firearms and the siting of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil to be made by the Scottish parliament. Others want Holyrood to become responsible for raising its own revenue, instead of relying on a grant from the UK government.

Their intervention comes ahead of a major debate about the issue to be held in Edinburgh next week, organised by The Sunday Times.

Stephen, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “The time is right to look again at the devolution settlement to improve democratic accountability and to ensure that Scotland has the right powers to grow the economy and meet the challenges of the future.”

Fraser believes it is important to have a debate on the future of devolution so that Scotland can move forward. “Arguments for greater financial powers for the parliament do have their attractions although there are serious practical difficulties to be resolved before this becomes a reality,” he said.

Jack McConnell has already ordered his advisers to prepare a case for reopening the Scotland Act, which was passed in 1997. Some of his senior Labour colleagues, including Wendy Alexander, the former minister, back more powers.

Other supporters include Canon Kenyon Wright, who led the campaign for devolution before Labour came to power in 1997.

Trade unions who helped to devise the blueprint for the Scottish parliament ahead of its first election in 1999 are keen on a wide range of new powers.

Unison, Scotland’s biggest union, believes that there is “merit in considering further devolution in areas of policy, including equalities, energy, broadcasting, civil service, drugs, firearms, immigration, council tax benefit, job centre plus, gaming and consumer protection”.

Unison wants an independent commission to consider Holyrood’s powers, similar to a review into the Welsh assembly led by Lord Richards.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress is conducting an internal review of its position which is expected to see it call for health and safety and other areas to be devolved early next year.

Giving Holyrood greater financial powers could allow ministers to offer tax breaks to artists and film-makers, such as happened in Ireland.

McGee, the founder of Creation Records and the man who discovered Oasis, said: “Scotland should be much more like Ireland and a Celtic haven for artists.”

Any attempt to extend the powers of the Holyrood parliament would first have to gain the support of the Westminster government, where it would meet with stiff resistance from unionist MPs.

Last week’s dispute over dawn raids for asylum seekers highlighted the friction between Holyrood and Westminster and was cited as a key reason for more Holyrood powers by Alasdair Gray, the author, and Hardeep Singh Kohli, star of the television comedy Meet the Magoons.

Times Recommends

• Tower block death blaze ‘suspicious’
• Licence payers fund BBC chief's £8m pension
• Potter star falls victim to swine flu