Ian Murray’s reported plans 'out of kilter' with new government relations – Shona Robison

Reports suggesting Scottish Secretary Ian Murray might bypass Holyrood to fund anti-poverty measures could jeopardise positive devolution steps, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.

The Sunday Mail newspaper reported the Westminster Government could introduce new legislation to allow the Scotland Office to allocate £150m for local authority measures to combat poverty.

However, Robison said such a move would be “out of kilter” with the “positive” relationship being built between the Scottish and UK Governments.

Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, she said the £150m could have been used to avoid means-testing the winter fuel payment north of the border.

Robison said Murray would be bypassing Holyrood if the plan suggested by the newspaper went ahead.

“If that is new money, there is definitely a question mark about why that money is not coming to the Scottish Government, given all of these funding pressures that we have,” she said.

She was asked if she believed the UK Government was “playing politics” with the plans but said there had been a “real difference” in the working relationship between both governments since Labour was elected to power, adding it was “far more open and collaborative”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met First Minister John Swinney in an effort to improve intergovernmental relations following the General Election in July.

However, Robison said: “What I would say about the Secretary of State for Scotland’s actions here is they are out of kilter with all of that.

“And that is disappointing because we should not see a continuation of the previous government’s bypassing of the Scottish Parliament.

“It was unhelpful. It was inefficient as well, it didn’t lead to the best delivery of public finances to the right places.

“What he is suggesting here is out of kilter with a very positive relationship that we are building with the Treasury and other (UK) ministers.”

A UK Government spokeswoman stressed that the Westminster Government wanted to work with the Scottish Government and not go around them.

The spokeswoman added: “The Scotland Office is at the heart of delivering the UK Government’s missions in Scotland, working with the Scottish Government to grow our economy, create jobs and reduce poverty.”