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John Swinney has claimed Scotland is "reaching the limits of devolution" as he blamed Westminster for a decline in living standards.
The First Minister said today he wanted to go further on issues like the country's persistently high child poverty rates - but was being held back by the UK Government's handling of the economy.
Speaking in Edinburgh ahead of the SNP conference this weekend, Swinney revealed the final chapter in a long-running series of Scottish Government white papers discussing the potential benefits of independence.
The SNP leader told reporters he wanted the constitutional debate to "focus on living standards" in the wake of stagnant wages, sky-high food inflation and soaring energy bills that have left households struggling in