The Liberal Democrats are leading the way in a campaign for more powers for Holyrood should Scotland vote against independence, according to the party’s Scottish leader Willie Rennie.
Mr Rennie said the Lib Dems, the Conservatives and Labour are moving towards consensus on the country’s future, stating that the pro-union parties are “very near a breakthrough moment”.
He was speaking at the Lib Dems Scottish conference in Dundee, where party members have also heard from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, chief Treasury secretary Danny Alexander and business secretary Vince Cable.
But away from the set-piece speeches, party members rebelled on key coalition policies on housing benefit reform and so-called “secret courts” legislation.
All but one party member voted for a motion sharply criticising Lib Dem government ministers for their stance on the under-occupancy rules, known as the bedroom tax.
They called for a halt to the plan, which comes into effect next month, and said ministers had been conspicuously absent from the debate.
A rebellion on “secret courts” also risked deflecting attention from Mr Clegg’s speech on Friday. Delegates said the provision of the Justice and Security Bill goes against their core values.
The party conference also focused on the constitutional future of the UK, one year before the Scottish independence referendum.
Mr Rennie said: “Our plan for home rule in a federal UK is gathering support from a wide range of bodies and thinkers.
“From Reform Scotland’s Devo Plus to Devo More from the IPPR, a consensus is emerging. Now that Johann Lamont’s group will report soon, we are making progress.
“With the Conservative leader speaking of a federal future we are, perhaps, very near a breakthrough moment. It is possible to develop the consensus that no in the referendum actually means yes to more powers.”