Scrap Scotland Office, Tory MP says

A Scottish Conservative MP has suggested doing away with the Scotland Office and replacing it with a single department for all four nations of the UK.

Stephen Kerr, the MP for Stirling, said Whitehall offices for the devolved nations should be replaced by a Canadian-style “Intergovernmen- tal Affairs” body to boost cooperation and strengthen the Union. In Canada, the department is headed by the prime minister and brings together federal ministers with provincial leaders to discuss issues affecting different layers of government.

In a newspaper article, Mr Kerr wrote: “A Department of the Union could replace existing Offices of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Wales, and the Northern Ireland Office. Making this significant change to government in a positive way would foster partnership and strengthen our union.”