Murphy wants to work more closely with Salmond

New Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy struck a conciliatory note yesterday over his future dealings with First Minister Alex Salmond, most obviously by referring to the Holyrood administration as the Scottish Government.

For the last 18 months Westminster ministers have studiously avoided the term, sticking with the phrase Scottish Executive, but Mr Murphy took the opportunity to break with that yesterday.

And while clear differences lie ahead, most noticeably on council tax benefit and an independence referendum, Mr Murphy went out of his way to say he was keen to work with Mr Salmond for the good of Scottish interests.

He revealed that the fourth person he telephoned after his appointment, following immediate family members and Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray, had been Mr Salmond.

Having succeeded Des Browne in the post, the new Scottish Secretary told BBC Scotland's Politics Show that he hoped he and the First Minister would have "a close working relationship on the issues where we agree".

He said: "Of course we're going to disagree on some things, people will expect that. My approach is one whereby I will try and find common cause, I just want to emphasise that point."

Drawing on his experience as former European Minister, he said: "I know that you achieve very little if you set out to emphasis your differences. I'll work with anyone who stands up for Scotland and is working for Scotland. I'll do whatever it takes to support Scotland through good times and bad."

The East Renfrewshire MP argued that moving back to a dedicated Secretary of State for Scotland was a positive move for the country. "Now we'll have a full-time voice around the Cabinet table speaking only for Scotland," he said. "It's too big a job at too important a time to be job-sharing Secretary of State for Scotland.

"I'm now 24 hours a day the Secretary of State for Scotland, I'm delighted to do it. If I had been given the choice round the Cabinet table it's the job I wanted."

Among the areas where he agreed to work with Mr Salmond were ensuring the best outcome for Bank of Scotland from the Lloyds TSB takeover, and seeking a deal on National Lottery money for the Commonwealth Games.

Arguing that Olympics-style lottery funding for Glasgow could help create a "generational footprint" for the games, he said: "I'd like to see what more can be done.

"We have to make sure that in the east end of Glasgow in particular, but not just there, there is a lasting legacy."

But his main areas of disagreement were on council tax and independence. He said his view was simple: "If there is no council tax then there is no council tax benefit," while he said Mr Salmond was planning a "rigged referendum".

He insisted Scotland was better off as part of the UK, the world's fourth-biggest economy and with a Scottish Prime Minister and Scottish Chancellor leading the world in finding ways through the current economic climate.

In contrast, he said, countries in the "arc of prosperity" such as Ireland and Iceland, on which Mr Salmond modelled an independence vision, were in economic difficulties.