The SNP has said Scottish Tory MPs are “rubber-stamping” the biggest attack on devolution in the history of the Scottish Parliament – after the Tory government forced through its Trade Bill, which sidelines the devolved nations from trade talks and threatens to set a precedent of devolved administrations being overridden in devolved areas.
Tory MPs voted down SNP amendments, which would have enshrined protections for the NHS, food and consumer standards in law and ensured the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations have a central role in the negotiations.
Commenting, SNP Shadow International Trade Secretary Stewart Hosie MP (pictured) said:
“The threat of a Tory Brexit power grab on the Scottish Parliament is growing by the day – as Boris Johnson prepares to marginalise and override the devolved nations to satisfy Donald Trump’s trade deal demands.
“The Tory Trade bill is the latest attack on Scotland’s devolution settlement – sidelining the role of the Scottish Government in post-Brexit trade talks and threatening key areas of devolved policy including our NHS, food, consumer and environmental standards.
“By voting against crucial SNP amendments, which would have enshrined protections in law, Scottish Tory MPs are rubber-stamping the biggest attack on devolution since 1999 and leaving the door wide open to a damaging Tory-Trump deal, which could lower food standards, reduce workers’ rights, and open our NHS and public services up to private companies.
“People in Scotland overwhelmingly rejected Tory plans for Brexit.
“We do not want a weaker trading relationship with our European neighbours or a race to the bottom on standards, which could see chlorine chicken, hormone beef, ractopamine pork and other frankenfoods imposed on Scotland against our will.
“The SNP will continue to resist any attempt to roll-back devolution – but with the threat from Westminster growing, it is clearer than ever that the only way to properly protect Scotland’s interests and our place at the heart of Europe is to become an independent country.”
