Angus Robertson, the Scottish National party’s Westminster leader, has signalled that his party wants to slowly negotiate the transfer of even greater tax and welfare powers to Scotland.
Robertson indicated the SNP had no plans to demand a fast transfer of extra welfare, job-creating and tax powers for Holyrood despite huge its gains in the general election, based partly on demanding “full financial responsibility” for Scotland.
Using far more cautious language than seen from the SNP during the election campaign, Robertson linked last year’s referendum defeat with the need to take a slow and realistic approach to new powers.
“I want to see maximum decision-making in Scotland as soon we possibly can,” Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland, as the SNP’s new group of 56 MPs travelled to Westminster to take up their posts on Monday morning.
“Unfortunately, the most important thing to be aware of and to recognise and respect is that Scotland voted no in the referendum last year, which means we can’t realistically have all the powers we want to have as quickly as possible.
“It’s going to be a matter which is subject to discussion between the Scottish government and the UK government.”
Robertson’s gradualist approach implies it could take the rest of the decade to implement any extra further powers and also suggests the SNP will attempt to postpone a second independence referendum.
It is doubly significant because it counters immediate fears voiced by senior Tories that the SNP’s remarkable performance could force the UK into giving much more radical powers to Scotland.
Boris Johnson, the London mayor, and Jeremy Hunt suggested in the immediate aftermath of the election that the UK could need to consider a federalist solution or offer sweeping new powers.
But the SNP is privately worried about the economic implications of pressing for full fiscal autonomy because the collapse in the North Sea oil price has weakened Scotland’s financial position. And opinion polls continue to show a majority against independence, despite last week’s huge vote for the SNP.
In effect rejecting the far more bullish stance on demanding extra powers taken by former leader Alex Salmond on Saturday, Robertson said there was now a “roadmap” for introducing new powers, which would mean a delay of several years before they were put to the Commons.
That began with implementing the Smith Commission proposals for full control over income tax, housing benefit and other modest powers – measures the SNP has repeatedly rejected as insufficient and inadequate but will take several years to come into force.
“We know there’s a roadmap forward. Firstly, it’s delivery of the Smith Commission proposals, secondly it’s following the discussion of further powers beyond that, which will emerge from discussions between the first minister and the prime minister,” Robertson said.
“And then there will be vigorous debate in the House of Commons during this parliamentary term and about the additional powers that we can hope realistically to have further devolved.”
Robertson also said the SNP would vote alongside David Cameron’s Tory government on pro-European Union votes in the Commons. Asked if the SNP would support the Tories on remaining in the EU, he said: “I can support Scotland and the UK remaining part of the EU regardless of who proposes that. If the position is, we can stay in, then I would welcome that.”
Robertson confirmed that the SNP was again calling for the UK government to abolish the Scotland Office – a demand likely to be rejected out of hand by Cameron’s government. “In the past it has been, in effect, just a propaganda unit of the UK government to counter the SNP,” Robertson said.
