Labour’s lone Scottish MP Ian Murray warns ‘childish’ SNP they must deliver

Sole Labour MP makes fiscal manifesto challenge.

Scotland’s sole remaining Labour MP has admitted to feeling “survivors’ guilt” and accused his SNP counterparts of being “childish”.

And in his first major interview since becoming Shadow Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray challenged the SNP to fulfil their manifesto commitment to win Scotland full control of its finances when the Scotland Bill comes before Parliament next week.

He said: “The Conservatives are delivering their manifesto commitment to have a Scotland Bill in their first Queen’s Speech, the Labour party are going to deliver on our manifesto and ensure proper provisions for welfare in there.

“Why aren’t the SNP going to deliver theirs? Senior SNP MPs talk about this mandate they’ve got but they’re not going to deliver the thing they’ve got a mandate on.”

The SNP manifesto promised to seek agreement on “full fiscal responsibility”, also known as full fiscal authority, for Scotland meaning the Scottish Parliament could only spend what it raised.

The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies, however, suggested this would blow a hole in Scotland’s finances of up to £10 billion that would have to be filled with higher taxes or spending cuts.

The Scotland Bill, based on the Smith Commission agreement, comes before Parliament next week and will offer an opportunity for the SNP to table amendments. So far they’ve yet to commit to plans to change the Bill such that it would legislate for full fiscal responsibility.

Echoing Alex Salmond’s election night claim that “the Scottish lion had roared”, Murray said: “It would be a dereliction of their duty and an indication of why the public have such little regard for politicians if, in the first few weeks of this Parliament with this significant mandate from the Scottish people that they talk about, the lion doesn’t roar but the mouse barely squeaks when it comes to demanding full fiscal authority.”

But he warned that if they do try to work full fiscal authority into the bill the Tories might grant it.

He added: “The worst possible scenario for Scotland at the moment would be an economically illiterate push for full fiscal authority from the SNP and a Conservative government that delivers it for them.

“The Conservative party currently have a £23bn black hole themselves from all the lollipops they threw on the table during the General Election campaign.

“They might just be able to save themselves some cash by delivering full fiscal authority and telling Scotland to get on with it.”

Labour are set to table amendments going further than the Smith Commission agreement they signed.

They’ll attempt to change the Bill so the Scottish Parliament has the final say on welfare and can create their own benefits and top up UK benefits as well as devolving housing benefit.

Murray will lead for Labour. Harriet Harman inevitably made him shadow Scottish Secretary after his predecessor Margaret Curran lost her seat.

Speaking for the first time about election night he said: “It was devastating for the Labour party in Scotland and devastating for me and my team as well.

“There was no celebration for being the last Labour MP in Scotland, no joy taken from being able to hang on.

“We were absolutely elated that we’d managed to pull it off but at the same time when all around you are losing their seats and good friends who’ve worked incredibly hard in their communities, not just these last five years, but in some instances for decades, are losing their seats I couldn’t even call it mixed feelings. It was complete devastation.

“There’s no doubt there’s survivors’ guilt, no doubt about that whatsoever.”

He is scathing about the behaviour of the new SNP intake. In their first two weeks the newbies have been told off for clapping and caught up in a stooshie about seating in the Commons chamber when they tried to evict Labour veteran Dennis Skinner from his usual spot.

Said Murray: “There’s a difference between wanting to modernise and being disrespectful.

“I just feel people will expect them to be doing slightly more than upsetting the apple cart by throwing an 83-year-old off his seat and clapping in the chamber when they’re not supposed to.

“The vast majority of reasonable people in Scotland think they are there to do a job and this is all a bit childish, and if you do want to clap in the chamber why don’t you raise it and see if you can get the rules changed.”