First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed that UK ministers were “invited” to match the extra £254million funding for infrastructure announced by her government.
The SNP leader said Keith Brown, cabinet secretary for infrastructure, had put that offer to the Conservatives during negotiations.
During First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, she told MSPs: “We will continue to discuss with them increasing their contribution.”
She also confirmed she would make further commitments to support the oil and gas industry on a visit to Aberdeen on Monday.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said she was “delighted to see the Scottish Government trying to outdo the UK Government”.
She also questioned whether the investment was new money or a rehash of a pledge the SNP made when it came to power nine years ago.
And she called on the FM to admit an independent Scotland’s finances would have been “blown to pieces” and that the importance of the country’s place in the UK had been “vindicated”.
Ms Sturgeon was asked by SNP backbencher Kevin Stewart, who represents Aberdeen Central, if she shared his view the Granite City deserved more than the UK Government’s £125million.
She welcomed the City Region Deal, but said he had made a “very, very good point”, adding: “I do know the investment Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire asked for was more significant than that.
“That is why we have taken the decision as the Scottish Government to confirm £254million of additional support for key infrastructure in the north-east.”
A UK Government source said: “The Scottish Government decided to put more money into devolved areas with projects that have been around for seven or eight years.
“City deals are about using combined efforts for genuinely new projects.”
He added that devolved projects should be funded out of the Scottish block grant, which George Osborne said in last year’s autumn statement would rise to more than £30billion in 2019/20.