David Cameron confirms David Mundell's "SNP to beg for more powers" position

After meeting Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh yesterday, David Cameron said via the Conservatives YouTube channel:

"I am of course happy to consider other proposals but I think we need to implement what we promised before diving into further changes... I don't support Full Fiscal Autonomy for Scotland."

So although both Cameron and Sturgeon have stressed that both are agreed to implement in full the Smith Commission proposals for new powers for the Holyrood parliament, it's pretty clear that that is as far as it goes.

The Herald newspaper is reporting, under the rather misleading headline Cameron: I'm open to going beyond the Smith Commission agreement (behind a paywall), that he said (my emphasis):

"If the First Minister wants to send some proposals for me to look at I'm very happy to examine proposals. There's going to be a debate. I don't rule out making other changes if sensible suggestions are made.
"There's going to be a debate in Parliament. The Scottish National Party now has 56 members of Parliament. There's going to be a Scotland Bill. It will be an opportunity for them to put forward amendments. There'll be debates over that Bill. I think it will be quite good that those people who want full fiscal autonomy will have to define what they mean and put forward proposals everyone else can scrutinise."

The hideous colours highlight that David Cameron is putting the onus on them to send and debate - he will not be pro-actively suggesting new powers himself. This echoes what David Mundell said earlier this week, that the SNP will be able to "make their views known in parliament" and that it gave them the opportunity to "debate and discuss" the Smith Commission proposals.

It's a pretty clear position, couched in a more diplomatic tone than blunt Mundell managed but still the same position: the UK government is happy to implement Smith but for further powers to be devolved, the SNP will have to fight it out in the House of Commons.

With probably only the 3 Plaid Cymru MPs and the 1 Green MP likely to support the 56 SNP MPs, and with Sinn Fein's 4 MPs not sitting in the House of Commons, that leaves 586 MPs who will likely fight tooth-and-nail against the SNP.

Expect to hear more about how the SNP can "debate" issues in parliament, code for the SNP can beg all they want - they ain't getting no new powers.