Russell Findlay is facing calls to clarify his position on the future powers of the Scottish Parliament after UK Conservative proposals raised the prospect of reviewing the devolution settlement.
Scottish Greens co leader Gillian Mackay has challenged the Scottish Conservative leader over proposals emerging from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, arguing that voters in Scotland deserve to know whether he supports any transfer of responsibilities from Holyrood to Westminster.
The row follows comments from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch about the operation of devolution, with the party examining how powers are divided across the United Kingdom as part of its wider policy programme.
The Scotland Act 2016 significantly expanded Holyrood’s responsibilities, including additional powers over taxation, social security and borrowing, while the Scottish Parliament can legislate across the areas devolved to it.
The constitutional argument has intensified after Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton indicated she had not been involved in discussions around the proposals, prompting the Greens to turn their attention to what Findlay knew and whether the plans have his support.
Mackay said:
“Kemi Badenoch’s threat to strip Holyrood of powers shows exactly what the Tories think of Scotland’s democracy.
“When people reject them at the ballot box, their answer is to threaten the powers of the Parliament we elect.
“This is a party that introduced English Votes for English Laws, excluding Scottish MPs from key stages of the legislative process, and pushed through its Internal Market Act, blocking Scotland from post-Brexit single-market access, despite Holyrood refusing consent.
“Now they apparently haven’t even bothered to consult their own Scottish deputy leader. Rachael Hamilton says she is ‘a bit down the pecking order’ and that this isn’t Scottish Conservative policy.
“If their own deputy leader is kept in the dark about plans to weaken Scotland’s Parliament, what chance does anyone else have of being listened to?
“Russell Findlay needs to say clearly whether he opposes this threat and what he intends to do about it.
“Scotland deserves more than a Tory branch office waiting to be told what its policies are.”
The language is Mackay’s political assessment, but the underlying question over the balance of power between Westminster and Holyrood touches a constitutional debate which has continued throughout the devolution era.
Research published by the Scottish Parliament earlier this year noted that UK legislation since 2016 has increasingly given UK ministers powers to act in devolved areas, with Holyrood’s previous constitution committee describing the extent of those powers as a significant constitutional change.
Badenoch has also used the Conservative conference to criticise the operation of devolution in Scotland, particularly over education, while Findlay has argued against further constitutional referendums.
The immediate pressure from the Greens, however, is now on Findlay to set out where the Scottish Conservatives stand if their UK party moves towards changing the powers exercised at Holyrood.
