Andy Burnham: Power too centralised in Scotland under SNP

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will today offer to work with the Scottish Government to “push power out of Westminster and Holyrood”.

Burnham will meet young people in Lanarkshire during a visit to Scotland which coincides with the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

The prime minister, who has pledged to “re-wire Britain” by devolving more power into localities, is expected to say that the Scottish Government is one of the most centralised devolved administrations in Europe which is not giving local people enough of a say in decisions which affect them.

Under First Minister John Swinney, the Scottish Government has recently embarked on a major programme of public service reform including a re-organisation of Scotland’s local councils.

While the government is currently consulting on its plans, it is expected that the country’s 32 local authorities will be reduced in number.

“During my first week in office, I told the first minister that I wanted to work with him to spread opportunities to communities across Scotland’s regions and cities,” Burnham is expected to say.

“Through No10 North, we are rewiring the state and I want to make sure regions in Scotland are fully part of this.

“This is me making an offer to the Scottish Government. With us working together, there is no limit to what we can achieve for the Scottish people.”

Swinney is expected to address his party’s conference in Aberdeen on Saturday.

Yesterday delegates voted to “abolish” the Scotland Office, the UK Government department which has responsibility to delivering policy north of the border.

Burnham is expected to set out plans for the Scottish Government to work with its UK counterpart through the Scotland Office to “develop a new model of regional empowerment”.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: “Devolution has done a great deal, but power was never supposed to stop at the doors of the Scottish Parliament. People in North Lanarkshire, in Fife or in the Highlands know what their communities need better than any minister, whether they sit in London or Edinburgh.

“The prime minister’s offer to the Scottish Government is a genuine one, and the Scotland Office is ready to roll up its sleeves alongside them to make it happen. Two governments, one goal – good jobs and real opportunity in every corner of Scotland.”

Commenting on the SNP’s conference’s decision to scrap the Scotland Office, SNP MSP George Adam said: “When the UK Labour Government came for pensioners’ winter heating support, let Grangemouth close or hammered Scotland’s energy industry, Douglas Alexander sat on his hands and let it happen.

“Scrapping the Scotland Office would free up over £13m which could be spent on measures to lower people’s energy bills in energy rich scandal – a complete injustice understood by all of Scotland and which the Labour Party has utterly failed to address.”