Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution'

Prime Minister Andy Burnham invited John Swinney’s Scottish government to work with Westminster on a new regional economic development deal, potentially including the devolution of powers from the Department for Work and Pensions. Speaking at an event in North Lanarkshire, Burnham called for more powers to pass from Holyrood to local areas first and said local government reform needed to move faster. He argued that devolution should extend beyond the Scottish Parliament and urged politicians to move past constitutional and partisan disputes to deliver practical results. Swinney said he was willing to work constructively with Westminster while supporting the Scottish Parliament having as many powers as possible.