Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has accused the SNP of 'playing politics' over claims UK ministers will have a 'veto' on sweeping new powers promised to Scotland.

The Lib Dem MP claimed Scottish ministers had raised no such concerns when they saw the draft legislation the week before it was published.

Mr Carmichael also said he was "personally disappointed " that Deputy First Minister John Swinney had "conflated consultation with veto".

His comments came as he told the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee that the veto claims were "nonsense".

Scottish ministers cried foul last month when the draft legislation on extra devolution to Scotland was published by the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition.

The Scottish Government said that Coalition ministers would have an effective veto on certain aspects of the new powers - in what they suggested was a betrayal of the 'vow' agreed by the pro-Union parties in the run up to the independence referendum.

Asked why he thought Scottish ministers had not raised the veto issue with him until after publication, Mr Carmichael said: "In a word - politics.

He went on to accuse the SNP of a "nakedly political stance" in an attempt to fool voters that the UK Government was trying to block its wishes.

"There are no such vetoes", he said.

He said that while there was a duty to consult around some issues, these went both ways and the UK Government had to consult Scottish ministers as well as vice versa.

SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said: "Even the limited powers recommended by the Smith Commission do not live up to the pre-referendum rhetoric of the 'Vow' from the Unionist parties.

"That is exactly the kind of arrogant, out of touch approach that is doing such damage to all of the Westminster parties and which they face paying a very heavy price for in May."