SNP MUST PUT UP OR SHUT UP

PM’s warning as he outlines plans for raft of new Holyrood powers

DAVID Cameron has challenged the SNP to ‘stop talking and start acting’ as he put a radical transfer of powers to Holyrood at the heart of the first Queen’s Speech since his election triumph. The Prime Minister said the nationalists can no longer whinge about decisions made in Westminster once unprecedented controls over tax, welfare and public spending are devolved.

he said the time has come to stop the endless talk about the constitution and have a frank debate about how the powers can be used to help Scots families. The Queen’s Speech promised a ‘ strong and l asting constitutional settlement’ in the wake of last year’s referendum, and Mr Cameron signalled that he will not give in to SNP demands for ‘home rule’.

Amid warnings that ‘full fiscal responsibility’ would leave Scotland with a multibillion pound black hole, he said: ‘People who want the best for every nation of our United Kingdom should fight for a Union with solidarity at its heart.’

Labour’s acting l eader harriet

Harman said the ‘ worst possible outcome’ for Scotland would be full fiscal autonomy. But SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson told the Prime Minister he must ‘react positively’ to nationalist demands for more powers following the party’s landslide victory in the General Election.

The Queen’s Speech also triggered a constitutional crisis over Mr Cameron’s plan to restrict the voting rights of Scots MPs. The f i rst f ully Conservative Queen’s Speech in almost 20 years included:

A promise of full employment, including two million more jobs and three million extra apprenticeships

No income tax paid on the minimum wage, and a law ruling out National Insurance and VAT rises before 2020.

Major welfare reforms, including cutting the maximum amount which can be claimed in benefits to £23,000 and banning under-21s from living a life on welfare.

A referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, to be held before the end of 2017.

An assault on trade unions, making it harder to call industrial action.

During last year’s referendum cam- paign, the three Unionist parties made a ‘vow’ to hand new powers to Holyrood, and the Prime Minister later appointed Lord Smith of Kelvin to draw up proposals. His findings, published in November, include the full devolution of income tax, a share of VAT, new borrowing powers, the ability to create new benefits and top up existing ones, and a whole range of other policy areas.

The Queen’s Speech included these proposals. When they are enacted, Holyrood will become the third most powerful devolved parliament in the world, behind bodies i n Canada a nd Switzerland.

The Tories plan to fast-track the changes, with a Scotland Bill to be unveiled today and made law by February, with income tax fully devolved before 2019.

In the Commons yesterday, Mr Cameron told the army of 56 Nationalist MPs: ‘I look forward to taking on the arguments from those who want to break up our country. Frankly, they have received little scrutiny until now.

‘Devolution is not just about getting new powers, it is also about the responsibility of how those powers are used. I would say to the SNP that if it is not happy with decisions made here in Westminster and if it wants more taxes, spending and borrowing, it can now introduce those measures in Scotland. It is time for the SNP to stop talking and start acting.’

The SNP’s proposal for a ‘fiscally autonomous’ Scotland would go far further than the Smith Agreement.

Independent experts believe that would leave a £7.6billion black hole i n the country’s finances, widening in future years to almost £10billion. Mr Cameron said: ‘I’m clear about what [full fiscal autonomy] means: it means raising 100 per cent of what it spends. That means asking Scots to pay almost an extra £10billion in taxes or making almost an extra £10billion in additional cuts by the end of this parliament. That is £5,000 of higher taxes or additional cuts for every single family in Scotland.

‘That is the true price of the SNP. It is ironic that the party in this House that claims to represent Scotland advocates a worse deal for Scotland than the rest of us do. People who want the best for every nation of our United Kingdom should fight for a Union with solidarity at its heart.’

Miss Harman said the constitutional system remains ‘fragile’, and added: ‘the worst possible outcome for Scotland would be the SNP demanding full fiscal autonomy, which they know doesn’t add up, and a Tory Prime Minister giving it to them.’

But Mr Robertson told MPs: ‘It already seems likely that the Government have not fully taken into account the proposals of the Scottish Government, which were endorsed by the electorate in the UK General Election.

‘During his recent meeting with the First Minister, the Prime Minister committed to considering improvements—and we welcome that. If those improvements have not been included, however, we will seek to amend the Bill.’

Comment – Page 16

‘The worst possible outcome for Scots’