SNP to demand more powers from Scottish Secretary

Published on Sunday 21 June 2009 23:14

SNP ministers will this week demand more powers for Holyrood in a face-to-face meeting with the Scottish Secretary.

Jim Murphy will meets senior Nationalists tomorrow to make a pre-cabinet presentation.

It will be the latest in a series of cabinet meetings opened up to outsiders to enable organisations and interest groups to put their case direct to ministers.

But the meeting will also see pressure applied in the other direction. A spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond said there was now "effective unanimity" for Scotland to be given more powers in line with the Calman Commission report.

Tomorrow's meeting would be an opportunity "to discuss the immediate implementation of these measures where there was agreement between the Scottish Government and Calman", he added.

These included devolving responsibility for air weapons, drink-drive and speed limits, the running of Scottish Parliament elections, and proposals for "equal relations" between Holyrood and Westminster, said the spokesman.

"These are all positive, there is now effective unanimity in favour of them, and we see no reason for any further delay in getting them in place," he said.

"There should be immediate implementation of these measures, and Tuesday's meeting with the Scottish Secretary is an important opportunity to discuss bringing forward the necessary legislative orders, which would be a simple and straightforward process – not least given the precedent in areas such as rail powers."

Mr Murphy said: "I want to focus on ways we can work together to get Scotland through the global downturn. I will not allow a generation of Scots to be abandoned."