THE SNP have accused the Tories of a “litany of attacks” on devolution and challenged the party to outline support for the “democratic rights” of the Scottish Parliament.
The call comes in the wake of the Scottish Tory party conference in Glasgow, which saw Rishi Sunak’s speech overshadowed by chaotic scenes with a row involving No 10 officials and Scottish journalists after Downing Street tried to restrict access to the Prime Minister.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said it was no wonder Rishi Sunak was “running scared of the media” as “when it comes to Scotland, the Tory Party simply have nothing positive to say”.
He pointed to recent comments made by former Tory minister Lord Frost suggesting the Tories should look to “review and roll back some currently devolved powers” if re-elected.
Brown said this was a sign of the “mask slipping” and said other examples of Tory attacks on democracy included a refusal to grant a section 30 order for a referendum, the blocking of Holyrood gender reform legislation and a “power-grab” via the Internal Market Bill and Levelling Up Fund.
He said: “The comments from unelected Lord Frost are only the tip of the iceberg – there’s been a litany of direct and coordinated Tory attacks on the devolution settlement and the democratic will of people in Scotland, as the SNP has outlined today. The Tories were against devolution from day one, now they are looking to take a sledgehammer to the rights of the Scottish Parliament.
“With their sheer contempt for Scotland on display for all to see, it’s up to the Tories at their small conference in Glasgow this weekend to spell out clearly to voters that they support the democratic rights of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government, enshrined in the devolution settlement.”
He added: “It’s time for real change – away from this broken Westminster system. It’s time for us to take control of our own future and place power back where it belongs – in the hands of the people of Scotland.”
