The Scottish Conservative leader was “absolutely right” to call out Nicola Sturgeon for insulting remarks about the Tories, a UK Government minister has said.
In the Commons, Douglas Ross claimed the First Minister had insulted “hundreds and thousands of Scottish Conservative voters” when she said she “detests” the Tories during a broadcast interview.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack agreed with him, and said Mr Ross was “absolutely right to call it out”.
Mr Ross said: “Does the Secretary of State agree with me that language is also really important and when the First Minster said that she detests the Tories – and the cheers coming from the SNP – she is insulting hundreds and thousands of Scottish Conservative voters when she should be representing the whole of Scotland as First Minister?”
The irony is the Scottish Government bring forward a hate Bill and yet we have language like detest, you’re absolutely right to call it out— Alister Jack
Mr Jack replied: “Of course I agree with him.
“Language is terribly important in politics, we saw the desperate death of David Amess and others before him, and you cannot incite people using words like detest, which as you’ll see in the dictionary – the other word is hate – and the irony is the Scottish Government bring forward a hate Bill and yet we have language like detest, you’re absolutely right to call it out.”
Prime Minister Liz Truss later paid tribute to the late MP Sir David Amess in the chamber, ahead of the first anniversary of his murder.
Elsewhere during Scotland questions, the SNP was accused of wanting to destroy devolution after ministers were warned about taking powers away from the Scottish Government.
SNP MP Allan Dorans (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) told the Commons: “The vast majority of people in Scotland support the continued existence of the Scottish Government.
“Despite this, the settled will of the Scottish people for greater autonomy and self-rule, some senior Conservatives are becoming even louder in their calls for UK Government to claw back powers from the devolved assemblies, the Secretary of State among them.
“Can the Secretary of State commit today before this House that the UK Government will not under any circumstances attempt to revoke powers that have been devolved to Scottish Government?”
Mr Jack replied: “I absolutely can.
“In fact, since we left the European Union we have given more powers to the Scottish Parliament.
“Let’s be clear, we are the party who are strengthening devolution… the SNP, the party opposite, want to destroy devolution.”
SNP MP Mhairi Black (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) said: “They’re (UK Government) scrapping the bankers’ bonus cap, they’ve forced a hard Brexit on Scotland against our will. They’re now helping the richest people in the country on the backs of millions of people choosing between heating and eating.
“So can I ask the minister, is it genuinely a surprise to him and his colleagues to discover why most people in Scotland do detest the Tory party and their values?”
Scotland minister David Duguid replied: “I’m disappointed that (she) chooses to double-down on the hate-filled language of her party leader, but I would repeat again the Scottish Government has received a record amount of block grant funding since devolution began.”
