There is a sense, particularly in Scotland, that politics is currently proceeding at breakneck speed.

After the drama and debate of the independence referendum, the Smith Commission was rapidly convened to come up with proposals for delivering greater powers, as promised to Scotland in the event of a No vote. The commission delivered its report with admirable efficiency, whether or not you perceive its conclusions to have since been overtaken by events.

Scotland and Scottish politicians remained at the forefront of the general election campaign and of course we now see next year's Scottish parliament vote approaching rapidly over the horizon.

So it is perhaps not surprising if David Cameron's newly-majoritied Conservative government is also barely pausing for breath. News that the European Union Referendum Bill is to be the first to be laid before Westminster is a surprise in that Mr Cameron has only pledged to deliver it no later than late 2017.

However calls for an EU referendum to be held sooner rather than later have come from sources as disparate as Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham and - albeit in coded fashion - Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

The intention may be to ensure that the imminence of a referendum does not unsettle the markets, by holding a vote quickly to minimise uncertainty. We heard the same argument prior to the Scottish independence referendum although there was ultimately little evidence of any economic impact.

Another consideration is that Prior to the EU in-out poll, Mr Cameron has to attempt to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership. He may feel that having a referendum bill already on the statute book will strengthen his hand in these negotiations. Or he may wish to be in the position to fire the starting gun on a referendum campaign sooner rather than later should negotiations go well.

There appears to be a rush, too, to bring forward the Scotland Bill to implement the Smith Commission's recommendations. This is in line with the prime minister's public utterances about delivering on Smith as fast as he could, when he pledged to rule the UK as 'one nation' the day after Britain went to the polls.

This leaves open the question of extra powers, on top of those set out in the Smith Report. While the Conservatives have agreed to consider these, after Scotland's first minister met with Mr Cameron last week, the intention is plainly to press ahead with what has already been agreed by the five main parties in Scotland with little amendment.

If the Bill can be passed in time for next year's Holyrood election, the Conservatives could be in a position to campaign on a message that the party has delivered for Scotland.

But this urgent approach to law-making may not be the best one. It is important that new powers for Scotland are delivered promptly but also considered properly.

There are elements of the existing plans which could be tweaked. Additional measures including employment law, business taxes and welfare also need attention. If Mr Cameron does press ahead with an early Scotland Bill, it may not be the end of the matter.