THE Scottish Greens have pledged to resist both a re-established "Union Unit" and any attempt by Westminster to interfere with the work of the Scottish Parliament, regardless of which Tory leadership contender becomes the next prime minister.
The so-called Union Unit was originally established under Boris Johnson as a cell of UK Government aides tasked with fending off Scottish independence. However, the team was plagued by internal turmoil and resignations before being disbanded in 2021 in favour of two Cabinet committees.
Earlier this month, Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak pledged to reconstitute the Union Unit as part of a plan to frustrate the SNP and lead what he described as the “most active UK government in Scotland for decades”.
His opponent Liz Truss has also vowed to block any attempts by the Scottish Government to hold a second independence referendum.
Scottish Green finance spokesperson Ross Greer commented: “This is the cruellest and most arrogant Tory government in a generation, right up there with Thatcher at her worst.”
No matter who emerges as the eventual victor in the Tory leadership contest, Greer said it was clear Scotland was in “for more of the same”.
He added: “The fact that both of the prime minister’s potential replacements say stopping Scotland’s democratic right to an independence referendum is a priority, and worse, that they intend to impose some big brother-style unit to salvage the broken Union, says it all.
“They will promise anything - ripping money back from the poor and giving it to their rich pals, turning away desperate refugees, denying Scotland a chance to choose its own future - in order to get the keys to Downing Street and wreak even more havoc on society.”
Greer went on to draw numerous contrasts between the Tories’ record in government and the achievements on the Scottish Greens since entering power after signing a cooperation agreement with the SNP last year.
Greer highlighted the doubling of the Scottish Child Payment to £20 a week, the introduction of free bus travel for the under-22s, improved protections against mandatory evictions for Scottish tenants and the first round of £500 million Just Transition fund for communities in the North East, while pointing to the Gender Recognition Reform bill and a full ban on conversion therapy as prospective accomplishments.
Referring to their opposition to the Scottish Independence Referendum bill, Greer dismissed the Tory leadership candidates as seeking to “rule Scotland by remote control”, and insisted that “people here will never accept that kind of interference by a Tory government they did not elect.”
Greer confirmed that the Scottish Greens would be setting out fresh proposals to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis and Scotland’s energy demands in the coming days.
“Westminster has no functioning government, no credible opposition and no ideas,” Greer said. “Whereas the Scottish Greens and SNP, despite our differences, are serving the people who elected us together. Only progressive politics can help mitigate this cost-of-living crisis.”
