Liberal Democrat chief whip Alistair Carmichael MP and Scottish leader Willie Rennie have criticised the threat from the SNP to vote against the Scotland Bill even though it is the biggest transfer of fiscal power to Scotland for 300 years.

Speaking at the opening rally of the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham this evening, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael MP said:

“As a Scot at Westminster I cannot help but contrast the way that we work in partnership to achieve more for the people of Scotland with the way that the SNP in Edinburgh works only to advance its own agenda for separation.

“Take for example, the Scotland Bill, which Mike Moore is currently shepherding through Parliament. It gives radical new powers to the Scottish Parliament.

“You might think this was the sort of thing that the SNP would support. You might think so, but we learn this week that you would be wrong.

“Alex Salmond and his clan are now telling us they are threatening to veto these substantial new powers. It beggars belief.

“For the last 30 years they have refused to work with anyone else in the constitutional convention and the Calman Commission, and now they want to block progress that people in Scotland want because it wasn’t their idea.

“The SNP are not the Scottish Government, they are a national embarassment.”

Speaking in advance of the Rally, which he chaired, the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie said:

“One of the messages from this conference is to show what Liberal Democrats are able to deliver in government.

“We have worked with others to get the Scotland Bill moving through Parliament.

“It gives the biggest transfer of fiscal power to Scotland for 300 years.

“Yet the SNP are threatening to vote against. They didn’t take part in the Constitutional Convention, ignored the Calman Commission and now threaten to opt-out of new powers.

“Scotland is lucky to have more Liberal Democrat MPs prepared to vote for new powers for the Scottish Parliament rather than SNP MPs who are prepared to vote against.”

ENDS