DAVID Cameron has set his face against allowing the Scottish Government to block the implementation of the UK Government’s controversial trade union reforms in Scotland.
Ahead of his private meeting with Nicola Sturgeon in Downing Street today, No 10 made clear the Prime Minister was not for budging.
The First Minister has insisted that the imposition of the reforms in Scotland is “unacceptable”.
The SNP Government and the Scottish Parliament believe that because certain aspects of the bill will affect Scotland, then they should have the right to block its application north of the Border.
Before the talks in Downing Street, Ms Sturgeon said: "There is clear opposition across Scottish society and across the Scottish Parliament to this damaging piece of legislation. The number of days lost to strike action have been reduced in Scotland by 84 per cent through partnership working, not by slapping sanctions on workers."
The legislation, if passed, would introduce a threshold for strike ballots, new measures on picketing and would allow companies to hire agency staff to cover for strikers. It is due to be debated in the House of Lords in January.
The UK Government insists the bill is not an attack on trade unions but seeks to create a fairer balance between their rights and those of the general public. However, the Government’s critics regard it as outright attempt to neutralise union power and make strike action nigh impossible.
Asked if the PM might concede ground on the bill, his spokeswoman said: "We have been clear that this isn't a devolved matter. It wasn't something that was recommended for devolution in the Smith agreement. That is our position."
Last week, Ms Sturgeon and her colleagues suffered a blow when Tricia Marwick, the Scottish Parliament's presiding officer, announced that a proposed legislative consent memorandum at Holyrood to block the bill's measures being implemented in Scotland was "not competent"; confirming that the legislation was a reserved matter for Westminster.
Also on today’s PM/FM agenda is the so-called fiscal framework, which is meant to be the mechanism to put into practice Edinburgh’s new tax and welfare powers proposed in the Scotland Bill.
It was due to be agreed earlier in the autumn but there have been concerns over the precise financial mechanism involving the gradual reduction of the block grant as the tax powers are introduced.
Already fears have been raised that if the right mechanism is not used, Scotland could lose hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
Asked if the PM was working to a specific timetable on the framework, his spokeswoman replied: “The focus is on keeping up the pace and making as much progress as we can.” The latest mooted publication date is mid-January.
Asked about the threat from John Swinney, the Scottish Finance Secretary, to scupper the entire Scotland Bill if there is no acceptable framework deal, she added: “The PM has been very clear we are getting on with devolution and the challenge now is for the Scottish Government to show they can deliver on it; that’s what we should focus on.”
The third item on the agenda is intergovernmental co-operation on countering the terrorist threat.
The spokeswoman was asked if the PM had any concerns that the Scottish Government would not seek to implement Whitehall plans to give the police and security services more surveillance powers.
She replied: “The point the PM will make is: we are the United Kingdom and it’s in our interests for us all to work together to protect our citizens and to counter the threat from terrorism and that means ensuring that the police and intelligence agencies have the powers they need to protect us against those threats.
“That’s what the PM will be focused on; making sure that, working with the First Minister, there is clear backing for giving the police and intelligence agencies the powers they need,” the spokeswoman added.
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