My latest Greenock Telegraph column...

The people have spoken but it seems that not everyone wants to respect their decision.

The recriminations and reverberations of Thursday’s historic vote are likely to be with us for some time.

Much of the hostility and blame for the defeat of the Yes campaign is being directed at the Labour Party. I was told by an SNP activist immediately following the count on Friday morning that my political career was over and that the Labour Party was finished in this area.

Personally I don’t understand why so many people were surprised that the British Labour Party decided to campaign against the break-up of Britain. The clue is in the name.

As I said in my last column, the advances made by working people in this country in the past 100 years – such as universal suffrage, the welfare state, the national health service, workers’ rights, equal pay and the national minimum wage – were achieved by working people in every part of these small islands coming together in solidarity through the Labour and Trade Union movement.

For us the principle of solidarity and the opportunity to pool and share resources are the basis for building a fairer and more just society not separation and division.

If my political career is indeed over then at least I will have the comfort of knowing that I stood up for what I believe in.

Now that the campaign itself is over I have the opportunity to focus once again on the financial challenges facing the Council, which are considerable.

We are holding a special meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee on 30 September to discuss our budget strategy for the next 3 years. Irrespective of the outcome of the referendum we would have faced huge challenges.

The continuing pressure on the public finances at a UK level, the impact of our falling population on the amount of funding we receive from the Scottish Government, the ongoing Council Tax freeze and our growing elderly population all combine to create a perfect storm. Some very tough and unpopular decisions will be required.

There is however one chink of light.

Whether they voted Yes or voted No, the majority of the Scottish people clearly believe that the Scottish Parliament should have far greater control over the amount of money it can raise through taxation.

New powers have already been approved and enacted by the Westminster Parliament and more have been promised.

The challenge to the Scottish Parliament is whether or not it will actually use these powers to protect public services and to tackle poverty and deprivation given that it has failed to use the 3p in the pound tax power we the people voted for in 1997.

The Parliament should also be challenged to end its fixation with controlling local government finances and allow Councils greater freedom to raise their own revenue without the threat of punitive sanctions from the Scottish Government.

The further devolution of power should not stop at Holyrood.