SNP attacked by Tories as Blackford claims PM is hostile to devolution

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a “hostile agenda” against devolution, the SNP’S Westminster leader has claimed, as the party accused UK ministers of mounting a “power grab” on the Scottish Government’s responsibilities.

Ahead of the publication of a white paper that will set out which powers are set to transfer from Brussels to the devolved administrations at the end of the post-brexit transition period, Ian Blackford claimed it represented “the biggest power grab since the Scottish people voted overwhelmingly for the Scottish Parliament in 1997”.

His comments at PMQS came ahead of a fiery Commons debate that saw Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt accuse Scottish ministers of failing to attend inter-governmental meetings and refuse to co-operate in talks on Brexit.

“Westminster’s plan to impose an unelected, unaccountable body to rule on decisions made by the Scottish Parliament will not be accepted,” Mr Blackford told the Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson responded that the SNP wanted “trade barriers between England and Scotland [and] nobody able to use sterling in Stirling.h e added: “He talks about unelected and unaccountable people. What he wants to do is hand the powers that we would give back to Scotland from this Parliament to Brussels.”

The exchanges were followed by a debate led by the SNP, calling on the government to extend the post-brexit transition phase beyond the end of the year to avoid adding further economic disruption to the impact from coronavirus.

But it quickly descended into another argument over the constitution, with Ms Mordaunt claiming the SNP were “stirring up division” for their enjoyment.

“Sadly, the purpose of this debate is not to influence or secure change, or even to suggest any further practical measures that could help business,” Ms Mordaunt said.

“This Opposition Day Debate is designed to do what Scottish Nationalists always try and do, sadly, to further divide, to sow seeds of doubt, to undermine confidence and highlight differences right at the moment when everyone should be pulling and working together.”

Labour abstained on the SNP motion, with frontbencher Paul Blomfield saying “that ship has sailed” in reference to a Brexit transition extension.