THE Scottish Secretary has told SNP MP Deidre Brock to “suck it up and go with the programme” as she expressed concerns over Westminster bypassing the devolution settlement.
The MP for Edinburgh North and Leith raised fears about the funding of projects in her constituency which bypassed conversations with the Scottish Government.
Specifically, Brock asked about who was responsible for the Levelling Up Fund which aims to invest in infrastructure across the UK.
She asked about the number of staff working on the project in Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh compared to people working in London.
Brock was told that the redevelopment of Granton Waterfront went through Edinburgh City Council.
She said: “It bypasses the Scottish Government who has worked very closely with the Edinburgh Council over many years in many areas.
“I did find that extraordinary. I would suggest that you should be dealing with the Scottish Government as well.”
Under the devolution settlement, Scotland receives a block grant every year and Holyrood ministers subsequently decide how to spend it on devolved matters.
Jack said: “We took the decision right at the beginning to practice real devolution and we’re standing by it so you ought to suck it up and go with the programme.”
Brock replied to Jack by telling him that his behaviour was “not very ministerial” before laughing.
Speaking to The National, Brock said: ""Both Labour and the Conservatives are petrified of engaging in debate because they can see how threadbare the case for continued Westminster rule over Scotland has become."
Boris Johnson has previously said that the Levelling Up Fund is the “defining mission” of his government.
Jack was also asked by MP Pete Wishart what Scotland had to do in order to “secure independence.”
The Scottish Secretary replied by saying that “now was not the time” and added that he gets up “every day and want to strengthen the United Kingdom” whilst Nicola Sturgeon “gets up every day and wants to destroy it.”
Brock added: “Alister Jack can run, but he cannot hide from the democratic will of a nation.
“A country’s right to choose should not be determined by the ‘firm belief’ of an MP whose party holds only six seats in Scotland.
“The people of Scotland have secured a cast-iron democratic mandate to decide their future and neither Alister Jack nor Boris Johnson has the right to block that mandate.”
More to follow
