PM visits Scotland and meets the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon

I’m here in Edinburgh today, just eight days after the general election, meeting with the First Minister in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, to talk about how we make sure that our united kingdom works for everybody.

We had a good meeting. We agree to have this respect agenda that I have spoken about. To meet more regularly. To make sure that the Joint Ministerial Council that brings together all the nations of the United Kingdom works together.

But above all I am delivering on the commitment I made which is that the Smith Commission report on further devolution will be implemented in full through a Scotland Bill in the first Queen’s speech that will come in just a few days’ time. That’s an important commitment, because the Smith Commission was a commission made in Scotland by the Scottish parties for the Scottish people and it gives massive extra power to the Scottish Parliament.

If the Scottish Parliament wants to take a different approach on say, taxation and spending, raise more in taxes, spend more money, it will be able to. So that was an important part of our discussion.

I’m of course happy to consider other proposals but I think we need to implement what we’ve promised before diving into further changes. Let me be clear about something else I don’t support full fiscal autonomy for Scotland. I think the idea of laying onto the Scottish people another 7 billion pounds of either spending cuts or tax increases. I don’t think that would be good for Scotland. So the choice I offer people in Scotland is let’s keep the United Kingdom together and within the United Kingdom let’s have a very strong Scottish Parliament but let’s keep the solidarity of our union where if Scotland has a bad year or if the oil price falls then you know the rest of the United Kingdom is there right behind you.

Our United Kingdom is an amazing success story, not just in terms of what it has done in the past but what it offers in the future, and part of that success is solidarity. We stand behind each other and I say we should keep doing that.

[KashmirvsUKvlogs]

want to know what David Camron eats which gives him too much energy to talk and keep going????

[tetsumonchi]

Whatever, Cameron. We intend to keep pushing for an exit to your Union.