The SNP has selected the Scottish Government's Finance Secretary and a devolution veteran to fight for extensive new powers for Scotland.
John Swinney and Linda Fabiani have been appointed to Lord Smith of Kelvin's Scotland Devolution Commission, which has been tasked with building a cross-party consensus on more powers.
Mr Swinney has said he intends to use former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown's ambition for home rule within a federal UK within two years as a benchmark for the Smith Commission's deliberations.
The Liberal Democrats, who yesterday appointed former Scottish Secretary Michael Moore and former Scottish leader Tavish Scott to the commission, have a similar ambition for federal home rule.
The Conservatives, which has appointed academic Adam Tomkins and former Scottish leader Baroness Annabel Goldie, have said their desire to link Scottish devolution to further devolution for the English regions will not hamstring the Smith Commission's deal for Scotland.
Announcing the appointments, outgoing SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "John Swinney and Linda Fabiani are two excellent and experienced advocates of the need for a significant strengthening of the Scottish Parliament's powers, so that it can deliver more for the people of Scotland.
"The Westminster parties vowed in the referendum that Scotland will get 'extensive new powers' and John and Linda will be constructive voices ensuring that this promise to the people is honoured in full.
"We also believe that there must be meaningful consultation with civic Scotland and all of those who have become engaged in the political process as a result of the referendum."
Mr Swinney is a former SNP leader and has been Scottish Finance Secretary since 2007, honing his skills for hammering out cross-party deals during the SNP's first minority government.
He successfully steered home the Scottish Budget in 2009 by making concessions to previously hostile opposition parties, who voted down the original Bill and threatened to pass a motion of no confidence in the First Minister.
Ms Fabiani was convener of the Scotland Bill Committee, which considered the last round of devolution from June 2011 to March 2012 and informed the Scotland Act 2012, which will see new tax and spending powers devolved to Scotland in the coming years.
She has been a director of the Scotland's Futures Forum, a Scottish Parliament think-tank designed to look ahead to some of the challenges and opportunities Scotland will face in the future.
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