Rank hypocrisy of Section 35 cheerleaders laid bare
Tories acting upset about David Frost’s plans to dismantle devolution are guilty of rank hypocrisy, the SNP has said.
Earlier this week, the unelected Tory peer, who served as Boris Johnson’s failed Brexit negotiator, argued that no more powers should be given to the Scottish Parliament and that some powers should be snatched by Westminster.
Tory politicians such as Murdo Fraser, Stephen Kerr and Donald Cameron, queued up to publicly condemn the column in a bid to distance themselves from the proposals – despite avidly supporting Westminster’s section 35 veto imposed on legislation passed by a cross-party majority of MSPs in Holyrood.
The hypocritical Tory MSPs have also called on their Westminster bosses to ignore the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament on Brexit, a fresh referendum on independence and a number of other occasions.
Tories in Scotland have also backed calls for the Scottish Government’s international roles to be scaled back and censored by Westminster, despite the pivotal role they play in enhancing the country’s global reputation.
Commenting, SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown MSP said:
“The people of Scotland will see right through these crocodile tears from Tory MSPs who have failed time and time again to stand up for Scotland’s democracy any time their Westminster bosses attempted to take powers away from Holyrood.
“All Lord Frost did this week was say what every Tory MSP has been thinking: the Tories would rather there was not a Scottish Parliament at all.
“They know that they will never win power in Holyrood so they are more interested in trying to undermine it.
“The Tories never supported devolution and a Scottish parliament in the first place – a leopard can’t change its spots.
“If Tory MSPs really cared about Scotland’s democracy they would stand up to the blatant power grabs we have seen from Sunak’s man in Scotland – Alister Jack.
“Our Scottish Parliament is not safe under this broken Westminster system where the Brexit loving Labour party are nowhere to be seen in this latest attack on devolution.
“That is why the only way to protect Scotland’s democratically elected parliament and keep it away from the hands of the Tories is with the full powers of independence.”
