WE CAN’T TRUST TORIES ON DEVO:
Sturgeon’s warning as MSPs look set to reject May’s plan
NICOLA Sturgeon has said she will be “proved right” not to trust Theresa May on devolution if the Prime Minister ignores a Holyrood vote on the Tories’ Brexit plans.
With MSPs poised to reject legislative consent for the EU Withdrawal Bill today, the First Minister said the dramatic constitutional rift risked breaking all trust between the two governments.
Speaking in London last night, Sturgeon said: “What happens after the vote, the ball is in the UK Government’s court. They have to decide to ignore the views of the Scottish Parliament or listen and try very hard to get a deal that closes the gap that remains between us.
“It strikes me that if the UK Government decide to carry on regardless, that we were right not to take this on trust.”
The SNP say the Brexit bill would give Westminster the power to ban Holyrood from legislating on devolved areas for up to seven years.
Sturgeon insisted she was “trying to cling to hope” that agreement over powers returning from Brussels could still be found but added: “We’re at three minutes to midnight.”
The SNP are likely to be joined by Scottish Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens in rejecting Scottish consent for the EU Withdrawal Bill, leaving Tory MSPs isolated.
With consent held back, May will have to rip up nearly two decades of convention on devolution and ignore Holyrood if she wants to press on with her plan.
Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins last night made a last-ditch plea to the other parties in the Scottish Parliament to back May’s proposal. Highlighting the deal Westminster reached with the Welsh Assembly last month, he said: “It’s profoundly regrettable that we don’t have a deal in Scotland to allow us to move on.
“The blame for that lies entirely with the SNP.
“Nicola Sturgeon has refused to compromise. It’s not in Scotland’s interests that the SNP prefer picking fights to making a deal.”
Scottish Labour Brexit spokesman Neil Findlay said his party will defend devolution.
He added: “The Tories’ shambolic handling of this key area for Scotland is pushing the case towards the Supreme Court.”
Green party co-convenor Patrick Harvie said: “The Tories’ understanding of the word ‘consent’ is a farce. They are determined to put a wrecking ball through the devolution settlement.”