Fresh Start Between Tories and SNP: Really?

David Cameron has laid out where he sees the relationship with Scotland going while speaking in Perth for the Scottish Conservative conference. According to the BBC he will say:

"We must repair the relationship between the British government and the Scottish government," he will say.

"It's a disgrace that during one of the worst economic crises in our modern history, when the foundations of the Scottish economy were rocked, Gordon Brown didn't meet Alex Salmond for almost a year.

"And it's shameful that during one of the most emotionally-charged moments in our recent history, when the Lockerbie bomber was released from jail to return home to Libya where he still is today, the Scottish government and British government refused to cooperate.

"That would not happen on my watch."

So how do the SNP respond? Well Stewart Hosie on the SNP website says:

"Warm words from the Tory high command cannot mask their stated intention to impose a triple whammy of cuts to Scotland's budget.

"The Tories are backing massive cuts to Scotland's budget next year - the first real terms cut since devolution, they want to go further and faster in the years thereafter, and earlier this week, David Cameron let it slip that he plans a new spending formula that will further reduce Scottish cash.

"The Tories so-called real change means short change for Scotland.

"If this is the Tory Leader's message to Scotland, it will be the Tories sole seat north of the Border that will be getting cut.

"The phoney war between Labour and the Tories has nothing to offer Scotland. Both are committed to making swingeing cuts to Scotland's budget while frittering away billions of pounds on a the Trident nuclear weapons system - an obscene vanity project the people of Scotland do not want.

"To get through these tough times, the people of Scotland need local champions who will stand up for their interests. Only the SNP will speak up for Scotland's services as the London parties race to slash funding."

So not so much fresh as quite ripe I'd say.