Tories plunge UK into crisis
Tories press ahead despite big defeat at Holyrood
THE Tories last night looked set to plunge the UK into a constitutional crisis by overruling Holyrood on Brexit.
Minutes after MSPs refused to give consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill, Scottish Secretary David Mundell vowed to press on regardless.
But Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell said: “The UK Government can’t ignore the reality of devolution.”
DAVID Mundell refused to back down yesterday in a row over the future of devolution – after MSPs voted resoundingly against giving consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.
The Scottish Secretary signalled that the Tory Government are prepared to overrule Holyrood and plunge the UK into an unprecedented constitutional crisis.
The escalation comes after months of talks over what will happen to powers in devolved areas when they return from Brussels to Britain.
Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell said: “The UK Government can’t ignore the reality of devolution or try to drown out what this Parliament says.
“If they now move to force on this Parliament an arrangement for restricting devolution… they will do so in the full knowledge that they are breaking the 20-year-old devolution settlement and operating outwith the agreed constitution.”
After more than two hours of debate, MSPs voted by 93 votes to 30 against the Brexit bill, with only the Tories backing it.
But just minutes later, Mundell said the UK Government would press ahead with their Brexit plan.
He said: “We have put a considerable offer on the table with the vast majority of devolved powers automatically flowing from the EU to Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
“We remain hopeful that the Scottish Government will still come on board. Even at this late stage, our door remains open.”
The only previous time Holyrood refused consent was on a welfare reform matter. That time, the UK Government made changes to help reach an agreement.
But it looks increasingly unlikely a compromise will be reached this time.
Scottish Labour Brexit spokesman Neil Findlay, blamed the Tories’ “shambolic handling” for the mess.
He said: “As the party who delivered devolution, Labour will always seek to defend and strengthen it – and that is why we could not vote to give consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill at this time.”
Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie claimed the Tories were still struggling to come to terms with the “legitimacy” of the Scottish Parliament.
And Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott said his party wouldn’t “hand power to right-wing Brexiteers”.
Meanwhile in Cardiff, the Welsh Assembly approved their deal with the Tory Government.