SNP policy ‘shambles’ as UK Government says it will block devo-max
THE UK Government will today confirm that it will block any moves to deliver devo-max for Holyrood, with Scottish Secretary David Mundell calling the SNP policy a “shambles” and claiming it would cost every family north of the Border £5,000.
The Scotland Bill, which will see a significant set of new powers transferred to Holyrood, will be debated in the House of Commons as the committee stage of the proposed legislation begins, meaning amendments to the legislation can be proposed.
While the UK Government will rule out full fiscal autonomy, which will also be opposed by Labour, both Mr Mundell and Prime Minister David Cameron have signalled their willingness to consider “sensible suggestions” for an additional transfer of powers, over and above what was proposed by the Smith Commission.
John Swinney, while reiterating his support for full fiscal autonomy which would see Holyrood responsible for raising and spending all of its own revenues, has signalled that the SNP will push for responsibility over the minimum wage, additional welfare powers and control of equality law to be added to the existing package as priorities.
While the Nationalists have put forward their own amendment that would hand Holyrood the power to decide if and when it would operate full control over tax and spending in Scotland, the party may also back a move by Tory backbencher Sir Edward Leigh which would quickly transfer a huge package of powers. Under his proposal, they would include finance, home affairs, trade and industry, energy, transport and social security while leaving matters like defence, foreign affairs and the constitution reserved to Westminster.
Stewart Hosie, the SNP’s deputy leader and finance spokesman, said that the party would look at the amendment in detail and that he was “not saying no” yesterday.
Full fiscal autonomy came under a renewed attack last week when the Office for Budget Responsibility slashed its forecast for North Sea oil revenues, on the back of the oil price slump, to just £2.1 billion up to 2040; £34.5 billion lower than its forecast last year.