The Scottish and UK governments have agreed to collaborate on new measures to control vaping, nationalise railways and ban landlords from barring families on benefits from housing. Kate Forbes, Scotland’s deputy first minister, said her government welcomed the new approach, which follows years of repeated confrontations between the Scottish National party government and the Conservatives at Westminster. Twenty-four of the 40 proposed bills announced in the king’s speech on Wednesday are expected to affect Scotland. As Forbes spoke, Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, struck a very different note by attacking the king’s speech as “timid” and “a missed opportunity”.
Flynn and Forbes are widely seen as likely future rivals to become SNP leader, but the former’s appeal to members has been substantially undermined by the SNP’s humiliating defeat in the general election, when it lost more than half a million votes and 39 Westminster seats to Labour. “People in Scotland voted for clear and substantial change at Westminster, and the Labour government was handed a huge mandate to deliver it, so it’s bitterly disappointing that they have thrown that opportunity away,” Flynn said. By contrast Forbes said Keir Starmer had stuck by his pledge to work cooperatively with the SNP in Edinburgh. “The prime minister has said he wants to reset the relationship with the Scottish government, respect the devolution settlement and work constructively together,” she said. “I am pleased to see this approach reflected in the king’s speech, and we will support the opportunities it presents to improve the lives of people in Scotland.” Labour strategists say that proving it can disregard differences over Scottish independence in the national interest will boost the party’s chances of winning the 2026 Holyrood election. The SNP and Tories were repeatedly in conflict over contentious legislation, particularly after Alister Jack became Scotland secretary. He blocked measures on glass and can recycling and gender recognition, and was repeatedly accused of failing to consult Scottish ministers on UK activity in Scotland, in breach of the devolution settlement. UK government sources in the Scotland Office said Whitehall civil servants had approached their counterparts in Edinburgh last week to seek prior agreement on several bills being unveiled in the king’s speech. “We promised change,” Ian Murray, the new Scotland secretary, said. “This king’s speech demonstrates we are rolling up our sleeves and delivering that change.” Last week, Ed Miliband, the UK net zero secretary, oversaw meetings with his Scottish counterparts to work on a rescue plan for the closure-threatened oil refinery at Grangemouth. The proposed new UK-wide bills include a ban on tobacco products, where Scottish agreement is needed to control the way vapes are sold to young people; new measures on nationalising rail services, which will strengthen existing powers for Holyrood to run ScotRail services; and barring landlords from blocking families on benefits from renting their properties. These areas are normally controlled at Holyrood. UK sources said Scottish officials had agreed to allow Whitehall departments to include Scotland in the Westminster bills. Ministers at Holyrood will then give the measures legislative consent. Starmer is due to set up a new UK-wide council for the nations and regions, and headquarter the new state-owned GB Energy company, which will drive investment in green and low-carbon energy, in Scotland. Conflicts and differences of approach on energy spending are expected, particularly if UK ministers set out plans for a new nuclear power station in Scotland, which will be implacably opposed by the SNP.