THE SNP accused the Tories of resurrecting Project Fear, after Theresa May’s de-facto deputy appeared to tell Scots they had a choice between a power grab or higher food prices and job losses.

In an extraordinary claim, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington told BBC Scotland that if the 24 policy areas named in his government’s document yesterday morning, did not return to Westminster then there would be consequences.

He explained: “What will not help either customers or producers is to have different sets of food labelling or food hygiene or safety regulations in different parts of the UK.

“All that does is add to costs, loss of jobs amongst producers and it leads to less choice, probably a higher price for consumers.

“The same applies with manufacturers, if you’re a paint manufacturer in Wales you’ve got to stick to some chemical standards in producing your paint, but you want those to be the same as the paint standards in Scotland or Northern Ireland because you are a customer there. It just makes sense that we do so much trade in internal borders in the UK that we have a set of common sense rules agreed.

“I hope between the different governments, laid out in legislation, that means producers and consumers will benefit.”

The SNP called Liddington’s pitch “a clear attack on the devolution settlement voted for by 74 per cent of voters in the 1997 referendum.”

MSP Ash Denham who sits on the Holyrood finance committee said the Tories believed they could do “anything to Scotland and get away with it”.

She said: “What’s crystal clear today is that our Scottish Parliament, and the very foundations of devolution, are under attack from the Tories – a party that has never won a democratic mandate in Scotland in over 60 years.

“They’ve laid out in black and white what they’re itching to get their hands on – powers over farming, fisheries, procurement policy that could open up the NHS to American health firms, state aid, GM crops, the environment, food standards and much more.

“After all their promises to respect Scotland four years ago it is clear the Tories still think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it. They’re not seeking our consent, this is power play by decree.”

Denham pointed out that the Tories had backed a report by Holyrood’s Finance and Constitution Committee, that said the UK Government’s proposals on post-Brexit powers fail to “respect the devolution settlement”.

“Now, a month later, they have performed a spectacular u-turn, and are now complicit in an out and out assault on devolution,” she said. “These are significant policy areas where there is still a difference.

“Everyone knows we will need UK frameworks in the years ahead as we will have to work together and share power across the UK.

“That needs a clear, future dispute resolution process. It is astonishing that the two governments have not got that ready by now. Both sides need commit to getting an agreement in the days ahead.”

Tory constitutional spokesman, Adam Tomkins said: “The nationalists just want another row to help sow yet more constitutional grievance.

“Their time in office is becoming the longest moan in political history,” he added.