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Just four days ago, Scottish Secretary David Mundell used these very pages to promise the people of Scotland he would listen to them.

In the face of fears his Tory Government would use their Westminster majority to railroad through the Scotland Bill without consulting others, he pledged to work hard to build consensus.

His words could not have been clearer and are worth repeating.

“I have always made clear – and again I mean it – that we will listen to sensible suggestions which will be to the benefit of Scotland within the United Kingdom,” he said.

“Indeed the whole point of having the Bill examined line by line in Parliament is so people can suggest changes.” Lofty and welcome words.

Unfortunately, Mundell’s actions since have provided no evidence whatsoever that he meant them.

On Tuesday night in Westminster, a rare and perhaps unprecedented event occurred: the SNP and the Labour Party joined forces on an issue of constitutional politics.

Both parties wanted to beef up the Bill’s proposals on welfare to allow Scotland to design a different benefits system if so desired.

When those bitter enemies are agreed on something, it surely merits close attention.

What happened next was a sickening slap in the face for Scotland and democracy.

Tory MPs trooped through the lobby to thwart the proposals – despite 58 of Scotland’s 59 MPs giving them their backing.

There was no consultation. No conversation. No listening to reason.

Scotland is rightly horrified by the UK Government’s brutal welfare cuts. The powers provided by the Scotland Bill will go a long way to giving those of us north of the Border the opportunity to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

But in the aftermath of the SNP’s stunning general election result, everybody has to accept the

goalposts have moved.

Smith now looks like a baseline for further devolution, not the blueprint.

Of course, Mundell is not really the man in the driving seat at all.

No, the Tory’s sole Scottish MP is just the monkey. It is David Cameron who is the organ grinder.

Since the Prime Minister stepped out of No10 in the early hours of September 19 last year, his attitude to Scotland has changed dramatically.

He is no longer the man whose “heart would break” if Scotland voted for independence. He is now the PM who spent the general election questioning the legitimacy of Scots MPs.

There are now serious doubts about his commitment to Scotland’s part in the UK. The Tories’ actions have been a gift for the SNP.

Nationalism thrives on grievance. And Cameron is giving Scots a lot to feel aggrieved about.

He was a signatory to The Vow of more powers made on the front page of this newspaper just before the referendum. He has a moral obligation to live up to those commitments. That means implementing Smith and treating Scotland’s elected representatives with respect regardless of their political party.

This includes the inevitable row over his English Votes for English Laws proposals, which are expected to be introduced to Westminster today.

It is not too late for the Tories to live up to their promise and take heed of the desires of the people of Scotland.

But the clock is ticking.