The future of devolution, Scotland’s constitutional position and economic growth were at the centre of talks between First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Glasgow ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games.
The meeting marked the first formal discussions between the two leaders since Burnham became Prime Minister and covered a range of issues including further devolution, intergovernmental relations and investment in Scotland.
According to the Scottish Government, both leaders agreed there were opportunities for further devolution of powers to improve the lives of people in Scotland and across the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister also committed not to bypass the Scottish Parliament or Scottish Government in any future devolution of powers and agreed that the way the UK Government works with the devolved administrations should improve.
The First Minister and Prime Minister agreed to continue discussions on constitutional matters, including where powers should sit across the UK and what arrangements would work best for Scotland.
John Swinney reiterated that the Scottish Government would continue to make the case for independence following the mandate secured at May’s Holyrood election and the subsequent vote in the Scottish Parliament, while stressing that any future constitutional discussion must respect Scotland’s right to choose its own future.
Alongside constitutional matters, the two leaders discussed the importance of economic growth in addressing the cost of living and supporting investment in public services.
The meeting also included a discussion on Scotland’s oil and gas sector, with the First Minister raising the Energy Profits Levy, arguing that it remains the biggest obstacle to investment in the North East of Scotland.
They also discussed a number of potential economic investment opportunities across Scotland.
The meeting took place ahead of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, with the Prime Minister thanking both the Scottish Government and the City of Glasgow for stepping forward to host the event.
