Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday demanded “substantial” further new powers for Scotland, despite David Cameron claiming his majority Tory government will bring in legislation to make Holyrood the most powerful devolved assembly anywhere in the world.

The Conservative Prime Minister included in the Queen’s Speech, as promised, a Scotland Bill extending devolution in the wake of the “vow” made by Westminster leaders in the run-up to last year’s indepen-dence referendum.

Cameron hailed the overall package of legislation as “the bold first step of a One Nation Government” for working people across Britain. But Sturgeon said the general election, when SNP won an unprecedented 56 of the 59 Scottish seats, provided a “mandate for substantial further powers” beyond those already recommended by the Smith Commission. The Scottish First Minister said: “The Scotland Bill must deliver the Smith proposals in full, but that must not be portrayed by the UK Government as some kind of concession – delivering Smith would only be fulfilling the pledge they have already signed up to and the promise they have made to the people of Scotland.

“In addition, we believe the massively changed political circumstances in Scotland provides a mandate for substantial further powers beyond those recommended by the Smith process and we will continue to make a strong case to the UK Government for those powers to be delivered.”

Cameron told the Commons the new Scotland Bill meant it was time for the SNP to “stop talking and start acting”. The Scotland Bill will make Holyrood responsible for raising about 40 per cent of taxes, according to the UK Government, with powers to set the thresholds and rates of income tax included in the legislation – and with all the money this brings in staying north of the border.

However, Sturgeon said the whole package of measures made it “abundantly clear that the priorities this UK government have outlined in the Queen’s Speech are not the priorities of the Scottish Government”.