Deal or no deal?
Sturgeon threatens to scupper agreement with UK Government... but critics say it’s posturing and a fiscal accord WILL be signed off
THE First Minister was accused of ‘posturing’ yesterday after again warning she may torpedo any deal with Westminster over new tax and welfare powers for Scotland.
In a defiant interview on yesterday’s Andrew Marr Show, Nicola Sturgeon claimed there would need to be ‘significantly more movement’ for a deal to be struck before the Scottish elections in May.
She described the ability to set income tax rates and bands, and top up benefits, as merely ‘powers I would rather have than not have’.
The Scotland Bill would make Holyrood one of the most powerful devolved governments in the western world, giving it control of abortion law, half of Scots VAT receipts coming direct to Holyrood, and the ability to create new benefits.
Yet Miss Sturgeon has refused to set out how she will use the new powers as she haggles with the UK Government behind closed doors.
‘Time is short, the clock is ticking and there is long distance still to travel,’ she said.
‘The Scottish Government is busting a gut to
‘Time is short, the clock is ticking’
try and get to a deal, but we will need to see more movement, significantly more movement, from the UK Government than we’ve got so far.
‘And, if we don’t get that, I will not sign up to something that is unfair to Scotland. I’m not asking for special favours for Scotland, I’m just asking for fairness. And David Cameron should be under no illusion about that.’
While the SNP has consistently talked up the possibility of the deal being rejected, sources in the Scotland Office have remained confident an agreement will be reached. Yesterday, a source close to 10 Downing Street described Miss Sturgeon’s comments as ‘posturing’.
The source dismissed the First Minister’s suggestion that the UK Government is attempting to impose a bad deal on Scotland, adding: ‘We rejected the bad deals for Scotland – devolution of oil and gas, full fiscal autonomy. So who is really standing up for Scotland?’
Miss Sturgeon insists that a deal must be reached by February 12, or else it will not have time to get assent at the Scottish parliament, and she will reject it.
But Ian Murray MP, Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary, said: ‘Scotland needs Nicola Sturgeon and David Cameron to stay at the negotiating table until a deal is done. There should be no arbitrary deadlines that put any deal at risk. This is far too important to be derailed by political posturing.
‘The people of Scotland need to know when the substantial new powers in the Scotland Bill will be delivered and these mixed messages from the SNP are not helpful. These new powers give Scotland a chance to do things differently, to invest in our schools and help young people get on the property ladder rather than cutting local services. Instead of constant posturing, both the Scottish and UK Governments should just get on and agree a fair deal.’
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie added: ‘Nicola Sturgeon seems determined to keep this all about process as opposed to telling Scots how she would use new powers to create the fairer and more equal Scotland that she says she wants to see.’
Miss Sturgeon also warned during the Marr interview that Britain will vote to leave the EU if David Cameron repeats the so-called ‘Project Fear’ campaign of the independence referendum.
The SNP leader advised against the tactics which some argued focused more on the risks of Scottish independence than the benefits of the Union.
But she was attacked after again suggesting ‘Brexit’ would trigger ‘overwhelming demand’ for a fresh independence poll if Scotland
‘Looking for any excuse’
voted to remain – despite promising the 2014 referendum was a ‘once in a generation’ event.
She also criticised plans for a June vote, claiming it would be ‘disrespectful’ to hold it so soon after May’s Scottish elections.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘If the In campaign behaves the way the No campaign behaved in the Scottish referendum, I fear it will lose.
‘In the Scottish referendum the two campaigns started miles apart in the polls, we had a thoroughly negative, fear-laden No campaign and they almost lost.’
However, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon said that the referendum would be once in a generation, but these comments make it clear the SNP has dumped that promise and is looking for any excuse to take us back to another referendum.’
Mr Rennie said the SNP should stop making the EU referendum a ‘proxy’ for Scottish independence.
Miss Sturgeon was speaking ahead of the last 100 days of campaigning before the Holyrood elections, in which education looks set to be a leading issue.
Party leaders are to make a series of visits across the country this week to outline their policy priorities before the May 5 vote.
Polls suggest an increased SNP majority and the party says it must ‘earn the right’ to a third term in government. Deputy leader John Swinney said: ‘Our most transformational investment in the next parliament will be in education.’
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is to visit a nursery today to highlight her plan to invest in childcare and future generations through a ‘Fair Start Fund’.
Miss Davidson said her party had shown up how the SNP ‘has been asleep at the wheel of education’.