Swinney calls for joint approach to new Scotland Act powers

The Scottish Government should be allowed to work jointly with the UK Government on the legislation to implement the proposals of the Smith Commission for further devolution, Finance Secretary John Swinney said yesterday.

Opening a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Commission's recommendations, published last week, Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government's position was that the UK Government should work jointly with it on producing draft legislation promised for January 2015; the UK Government should act in good faith ahead of further devolution and transfer welfare programmes as they currently are; and early action should be taken where legislation is not required, and in "three key areas": votes for 16 and 17 year olds, devolution of air passenger duty, and Work Programme.

In the debate, MSPs clashed over whether Lord Smith's proposals fulfilled the "vow" by the three main UK party leaders before the independence referendum, that substantial further powers would be transferred to Holyrood if Scotland voted No. Mr Swinney claimed that the proposals "cannot be characterised as home rule or as near to federalism as is possible in the UK"; but Iain Gray for Labour, another Commission member, said Holyrood would be more powerful than legislatures in federal Germany or Australia, and Annabel Goldie for the Conservatives, also a member, said whatever Smith had proposed it would not have been enough for the SNP.

Mr Swinney also argued that both governments should "start preparing in good faith" for the transfer of the powers identified in Lord Smith’s report.

“The UK Government should not take any steps that would constrain our freedom to come to our own decisions", he maintained. "The most obvious example of this is the changes to disability payments due to come into force and the impact that will have on both welfare policy and welfare funding. To devolve powers over disability benefits only after they have been subject to Westminster cuts would be a breach of faith with the Smith Commission.”