Unlike the Welsh, Scotland must resist Westminster’s blatant Brexit ‘power grab’

Nicola Sturgeon and Mike Russell should be applauded for standing firm against Westminster’s attempt to dismantle existing devolution powers and it is very disappointing that a supine Labour government in Wales has accepted a London Tory power grab (your report, 25 April). If Scottish opposition MSPS don’t support the protection of our Scottish Parliament then why should they really be MSPS?

The powers Westminster want to control and veto for at least the next seven years include GM crops, fracking and nuclear waste disposal over which the Scottish Parliament will have no meaningful vote.

We are now expected to trust the UK Government, which refused to accept even one amendment out of 100 when the EU Withdrawal Bill was rushed through the House of Commons, to take the Scottish Government’s views into account when they can pass legislation and make trade agreements directly affecting Scotland’s fishing industry, our farmers, the environment or our public sector procurement rules, or the safe use of chemicals, or food safety, plus many other areas, for the next seven years without the consent of Scottish Parliament.

The fact that BBC TV UK news ignored this latest devolution development is further evidence that Scotland is an irrelevance for the London metropolitan establishment.

As Mike Russell said in Parliament: “It would be an outrage if the UK Government decided to use what the people of Scotland did not vote for – Brexit – to undermine what

we did vote for: devolution.”

FRASER GRANT Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh If, as most Scots expect, the administration in Holyrood had nurtured good relations with Westminster, the announcement of a sevenyear timescale for implementation of devolved EU powers would, and should, be seen as a masterstroke of common sense and common purpose.

The Smith Commission has shown, delivery of new powers takes at least seven years from conception to “go live”. The “Vow” was offered in 2014, legislated in 2016 and welfare, tribunals and Transport Police have been delayed indefinitely or until 2021. EU Farm payments are another example.

But it is also a political masterstroke, isolating Nicola Sturgeon not only from her Welsh “partners”, but increasingly from wiser heads in her own party – and the voters.

Mrs May has called Ms Sturgeon’s “material change in circumstances” bluff. They both read the polls. They both know the SNP would lose Indyref2.

Mrs May has also placed a big, winnable bet on there being a more co-operative and competent administration after 2021, and side-bet on the SNP not even being the official opposition.

Holyrood should now focus on the “day job” until 2021 and hopefully the post-2021 parliament will take a pragmatic view of the cost, efficiency and impact of the powers on offer and “cherry pick” the ones which work best for Scotland and the UK. ALLAN SUTHERLAND

Willow Row, Stonehave