THE Scotland Bill was debated for the first time at Westminster this week. It is, to coin a phrase, redolent with possibility.

It’s the new Tory government’s first chance to recognise the changing face of Scotland, and to show by their actions that they have heard the message voters in Scotland have resoundingly delivered. It’s an opportunity for Labour to reflect on the election result in Scotland and across the UK, and begin to rebuild its relationship with the Scottish people. And it’s an occasion where the 56 SNP MPs can start to keep our promise to be a strong voice for Scotland at Westminster.

Most of all it will allow this parliament to come together to deliver in full on a promise made to the people of Scotland. This is what the vast majority of people in Scotland voted for at the ballot box in May, of that there is no doubt.

The Smith Commission, which formed the basis of these proposals, reported in November last year, but Scotland now has a very different political landscape. The debates we have now need to reflect how Scotland has evolved.

The election has been decided and it’s the task for all MPs, regardless of party, to work together to grasp this opportunity with both hands. The Government must keep its side of the deal by delivering on its promises, and it’s the responsibility of the rest of us to hold them to account.

And the SNP group is acting constructively in our approach to this legislation. Of course it doesn’t include all the powers we want for the Scottish Parliament, but we respect the result of the referendum and are embracing our new responsibilities as the third largest party in the House of Commons.

With this in mind, we noted that both the Conservative Scottish Secretary David Mundell and Labour’s Ian Murray took time this week before the debate to offer to work together with other parties and the Scottish Government to improve the Bill as it stands. This is undoubtedly the approach they should be taking and I look forward to seeing this in action. Our collective mandate is to deliver real change for Scotland, not to re-run the same, tired old arguments of the past. Arguably it would be easy to become trapped in the Westminster bubble and resort to the old-style of politics, but the electorate deserves better.

The debate must focus on the benefits this new law will bring to the lives of the people we serve.

We should also take a lead from the recent report published by the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party committee on new powers, which was published shortly after the General Election. In producing that significant report, MSPs from every party signed up to work in partnership to set out a constructive response to this Bill. It’s this sort of approach, where politicians acknowledge our differences but work together to deliver what we agree on, which will deliver real success for Scotland.

During Monday’s debate, we already began to improve the package on offer by securing an assurance from the Secretary of State that the UK Government will not hold a veto over the decisions of the Scottish Parliament in these new areas of responsibility. It’s important that the Scottish Parliament can act decisively and clearly in areas where it has responsibility. If Holyrood is to make a positive difference to how we manage the Crown Estate’s current assets in Scotland, for example, it should be able to do so without having to look over its shoulder to Westminster. I look forward to achieving cross-party support for the necessary amendments to the Bill which will now need to follow.

We need to make sure that this is the start of a process that not only enhances the powers available to Holyrood, but improves the way that governments can work together to better the lives of everyone in Scotland

I’m glad that the arrival of the new SNP group has put Scotland front and centre of the UK’s political debate, and has made the debate on Scotland’s future a priority in this parliament. We now have to use our significant influence to shape this proposal into something that can deliver real, tangible change.

We need to make sure that at the end of this process we have a clear division of responsibilities between our parliaments so we can all get on with the jobs we’ve been given by the electorate. We need the powers to be able to build a Scottish welfare system which supports people and families when they need a safety net to fall back on. And we need the ability to develop a fairer taxation system which encourages work and supports the creation of new jobs, while securing Scotland’s vital public services for the future.

It’s an opportunity that we can’t afford to miss.