DAVID Cameron has been urged by the SNP to drop his "obsession" with ripping the UK out of Europe and prioritise giving Scotland more powers for Holyrood.
As revealed by The Herald, the Prime Minister is set to make holding an in/out referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union his number one legislative priority. The Bill to facilitate a referendum will be the first to be published within 24 hours of next Wednesday's Queen's Speech.
The priority given to the Bill has raised speculation that Mr Cameron is intent on fast-tracking the proposed poll from 2017, as originally planned, to next year.
The SNP has made clear it will call on support from all opposition parties to back its plans to amend the EU Bill to include a so-called "double majority" rule to ensure that Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland cannot be dragged out of the EU against their individual will; an effective veto.
Stewart Hosie, the SNP's Deputy Leader, said: "While the people of Scotland wait for Westminster to deliver the powers promised to them, it's clear the Tories have their priorities all wrong as their obsession with ripping the UK out of Europe continues to threaten jobs.
"At least 330,000 Scottish jobs - around one in seven - are dependent on our membership of the European single market. That is why we will oppose these Tory plans for a referendum that threatens our place in the EU."
The PM has made clear he is for Britain remaining in a reformed EU and is confident he can secure desired changes on matters like immigration and welfare.
On the double majority proposal, Mr Hosie said: "If the UK is truly to be a family of nations, then the voice of the people of Scotland must be heard and respected by David Cameron."
He went on: "Instead of fixating over ripping Scotland out of Europe, the Tories' time would be better spent waking up to the fact that austerity isn't working and ensuring that Scotland is given the powers it was promised in the final days before the referendum.
"Scotland's voice must be heard on these vital issues. SNP MPs at Westminster will do all we can to ensure our interests are protected and the powers we were promised are delivered," added Mr Hosie.
Earlier, the Prime Minister attended, first, a political Cabinet with his senior advisers, who now include London Mayor Boris Johnson, and then the normal weekly Cabinet with ministerial colleagues when they discussed the forthcoming Queen's Speech.
As well as the EU Referendum Bill, key legislation will include the Scotland Bill, granting Holyrood more powers, the English Votes for English Laws Bill, an Enterprise Bill to cut red tape and an Industrial Action Bill to set a 40 per cent threshold of employee participation in any workplace vote before industrial action can be taken.
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