A TORY MSP refused to say what he felt the UK Government should do to help vulnerable people with the energy bills crisis despite being asked five times in an interview.
Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Tory health and social care spokesperson, was asked repeatedly on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland what he wanted his colleagues in Westminster to do after Citizens Advice Scotland and Age Scotland have both warned people could freeze or starve this winter.
Pinning the blame on Nicola
But Gulhane – who claims he hasn’t decided who to support in the leadership race - would not move away from pointing the blame at Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government, despite the tools needed to deal with the cost-of-living crisis largely being reserved to the UK Government.
The Glasgow region MSP also said more powers should not be given to Holyrood and should instead be handed to local authorities.
Asked what he would like to see the UK Government do, he replied: “There’s a lot of money Nicola Sturgeon could be using right now.”
When it was pointed out to him that the UK Government holds the powers to tackle the situation, Gulhane then said: “So does Nicola Sturgeon. Nicola Sturgeon has the economic power, she’s got tax raising capabilities.”
After being asked the same question a third time, he eventually said he would like to see his colleagues in Westminster “put pressure on” the Scottish Government to “spend the money they have been given”.
The FM's cost-of-living measures
Sturgeon agreed to an urgent package of measures to tackle the cost-of-living crisis after she chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Committee last week. The committee has agreed to meet weekly.
As part of her announcement, the First Minister stressed the tools needed to deal with the crisis lay with the UK Government and called on Westminster to do more to help households.
She said: “We will do all we can within our powers and resources to help - including conducting an emergency budget review.”
Bizarrely angry GMS interview by @Sandeshgulhane - raging about Nicola Sturgeon despite being asked 4 times what UK Govt is doing on reserved issue of energy. He's against Lord Frost's 'dismantling devolution' but wants Holyrood powers given to councils. #indyref2 battle begins
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) August 22, 2022
Nationalising energy
Gulhane was questioned on whether he agreed with potentially nationalising energy companies or freezing this week’s energy price cap, but he would not say and once again chose to pile the blame on Sturgeon.
“Well did I not hear Nicola Sturgeon say five years ago she was going to set up a not-for-profit energy company? Where is it?,” said Gulhane.
“I will continue to tell you unashamedly that Nicola Sturgeon is the First Minister of Scotland and needs to actually do something for the people of Scotland and stop putting this on other people and start taking responsibility in Scotland.”
What the Scottish Government is doing
As part of the package to help Scottish families deal with rising costs, the Scottish Government has committed to exploring the extension of eligibility for and increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment and to commence an emergency budget review to assess whether government resources can be redirected to those most in need and reduce burdens on businesses.
It has also said it will consider what can be done within devolved powers for regulatory action to limit increases in costs for people, businesses and other organisations, and work with its partners to strengthen the safety net of emergency food/fuel provision, prioritising a "cash first" approach.
The leadership contest
After dodging multiple questions, Gulhane then wouldn’t be drawn on who he was supporting in the Conservative leadership race, insisting “both candidates came across well” at the Perth hustings last week.
He was then pressed on whether he agreed with Lord David Frost’s comments after he said Scotland and Wales were not nations, the UK should become a “unitary state” with devolution “evolved back” and independence should be made impossible.
Gulhane said he didn’t agree with reversing devolution but said powers should be going to councils rather than the Scottish Government.
He said: “I think we had our independence referendum and I think it was quite clear the will of the Scottish people was to stay in the UK.”
Asked if the UK should become a unitary state, he added: “Devolution to Nicola Sturgeon is just more powered centralisation. What’s real devolution is actually the powers not staying withing the Scottish Government but going to the councils.
“We’re talking about a National Care Service – that’s not devolution, that’s centralisation.
“I don’t want to see a reversal of devolution, I want to see more devolution which means powers going to local authorities, and local decision-making having priority.”
