First Minister demands that drugs laws be devolved after election
Nicola Sturgeon has added a third demand to her list of potential deals to be struck with the next UK government in the event of a hung parliament, saying that powers over drugs legislation would be a “key issue” of any post-election agreement.
The First Minister – who has already confirmed a Section 30 order for the holding of a second independence referendum and ensuring the NHS is protected in trade negotiations would be key SNP demands in return for Commons support – has now called for Holyrood to have legal powers over the sale of illegal drugs.
All UK drugs misuse legislation is reserved to Westminster but Ms Sturgeon said yesterday that legal powers governing the use and abuse of drugs needed to be devolved to Holyrood to enable it to tackle the crisis in Scotland.
The First Minister will hit the election campaign trail in Dalkeith today with the party’s Midlothian candidate Owen Thompson with a warning that Brexit will mean a “lost decade” for Scotland.
Drugs claimed the lives of 1,187 people in Scotland in 2018 – the highest rate in the EU – leading several politicians to call for a more health-based approach to addiction.
A report by Westminster’s Scottish affairs committee yesterday recommended that possession of drugs for personal use be decriminalised, supported the introduction of safe consumption facilities and said the Scottish Government must do more to ensure drug treatment services were properly funded and supported.
While Ms Sturgeon has ruled out an official coalition with other parties should there be a hung parliament after 12 December 12, if the SNP is in a position to support a minority government, she has said the issue of drugs will be an important one.
Campaigning in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, she said: “There are a number of things that would be important to the SNP and [drugs policy] would certainly be one of those things.
“I think there is a realisation that this is a public health emergency we face. The Scottish Government has powers and resources and it’s our responsibility to use those effectively.
“But I think there’s a growing consensus that we could do more and be more effective if some of the powers currently held at Westminster were devolved here. That will be a key issue in any post-election discussion.”
Ms Sturgeon said she did not want to commit to providing more funding for drugs treatment programmes in the next Scottish budget due to a delay to the Westminster budget.
She added: “However, the drugs emergency and the health service will always be at the forefront of any budget considerations of the Scottish Government.”
She also said Scotland could “hold the balance of power” after the election. “The SNP, although we’ve made it clear we won’t go into an official coalition with any other party, we want to make sure Scotland’s influence is maximised.”
Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Monica Lennon said it was time for the SNP government to “start treating the situation like a public health emergency.
“Lives are at stake and the time for talking is over. We need to see urgent action and co-operation between the UK and Scottish governments to implement these recommendations as soon as possible.”
Ross Thomson resignation was his decision alone, insist Tories as new candidate emerges
Scottish Conservatives have insisted Ross Thomson’s decision to quit as the party’s candidate in a key SNP target seat “was entirely his own” after the MP for Aberdeen South was accused of groping a fellow parliamentarian.
Mr Thomson strenuously denied allegations that he groped Labour MP Paul Sweeney in a House of Commons bar last October, but confirmed on Sunday that he would not seek re-election on 12 December.
The 32-year-old, who led Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign in Scotland, is still under investigation by Commons authorities over the alleged incident after it was first raised in 2018.
Mr Sweeney initially remained anonymous after first making his complaint but decided to go public with