Lib Dem leader: This pact will mean even less scrutiny of flawed legislation
New Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-hamilton has warned a coalition pact between the SNP and Greens risks “overreaching” legislation being railroaded through Holyrood.
The deal was announced on Friday and unanimously backed by the SNP’S national executive committee yesterday, clearing the first hurdle to powersharing. Scottish Greens members are expected to meet next Saturday, where they will vote on the terms of the deal, which will see the Greens support the majority of Scottish Government legislation and take two ministerial posts.
Cole-hamilton, who was elected his party’s new leader on Friday, warned of “bad legislation” being passed by the two parties, that will form a majority at Holyrood. He fears the pact will weaken Holyrood’s widely-criticised committees, which are meant to scrutinise proposed legislation.
He cited the example of Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act, which was designed to tackle sectarianism but was claimed to unfairly criminalise football fans, passed in 2011 when the SNP held a majority at Holyrood. Cole-hamilton said: “It was clear during the SNP majority government that the Holyrood committee system is broken. The Scottish Parliament was designed on the premise that we would have always have opposition parties in the majority and people would have to find consensus.
“As it stands now, there will be a coalition government majority on every committee, and that means we won’t be effectively scrutinising or revising legislation. I am very concerned we will have bad legislation being rubberstamped by coalition MSPS throughout the rest of this parliamentary term.”
The Offensive Behaviour at Football Act was repealed in 2018 after criticism from legal experts, fans’ groups and equalities organisations.
Cole-hamilton said: “It was an assault on freedom of speech. It was only passed because it was an SNP majority government that did it, and had to be repealed because it had gone far too far.”
Cole-hamilton expressed concerns at the Scottish Government wanting to make some of their emergency Covid-19 powers permanent, including the ability to impose lockdowns and close schools.
He said: “There is a real anxiety at the SNP wanting to make those powers permanent and their sidekicks in the Green Party have now handed them the keys to that.
“I think there is an urgent need for reform through the Scotland Act, such as directlyelected committee chairs or a second chamber like a Scottish senate. We shouldn’t seek to have a Scottish House of Lords – the Lib Dems oppose the House of Lords – but nevertheless the Lords at least provides a degree of oversight and revision of legislations going through the House of Commons.”