SINCE the Tory leadership and London establishment has never bought into devolution, the recent jibes, jeering and shocking discourtesy emanating from the UK government benches was of little surprise. We witnessed disgraceful scenes as the SNP walked out of the mother of parliaments following their leader Ian Blackford, who had the audacity to defend the Devolution Agreement for which Scotland voted overwhelmingly in 1997.
Contempt for Scotland and devolution has never been clearer during the ridiculously short 15-minute debate on the Tory Brexit "power grab" in which not one Scottish MP was allowed to speak. Blatant disregard for the express views of the Scottish parliament in which all parties, except the Tories, voted against consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill on the grounds that devolved EU matters would be withheld by Westminster, was palpable.
However the following quotes from prominent Unionists along with the fact that in 24 hours an extra 5000 people joined the SNP, makes the case even stronger for independence.
From David Mundell:- "Scotland is not a partner in the UK, it is a part of the UK". Yet in the infamous 2014 "VOW" we were assured that the UK was a partnership, "a nation of equals" and that further devolved powers to Devo max or a federal system would be delivered and our membership of the EU would be secure if we voted no to independence. Then we have the prominent brexit and Times journalist Tim Shipman who declared:- "Why should Scotland be regarded as any more important that Manchester?" The answer is of course that Scotland, unlike Manchester, is one of the two principal nations of the UK and has had its own devolved parliament since 1999.
Such arrogant, ill-considered views can only sharpen the move for independence. This is confirmed by the former, well respected, editor of the Daily Record and architect of the 2014 vow, Murray Foote, declaring that because of broken promises, brexit and the Tory power grab he now supports a resurgent YES campaign for full independence. As the late, great Margo MacDonald once said:- "Self government for Scotland means self respect for Scotland.
Grant Frazer
Newtonmore
I HAVE been for many years a viewer of PMQs and have often been unimpressed by the juvenile ,rude and unparliamentary behaviour of Members of both Labour and Conservative Parties when their political opponents are speaking or rather attempting to speak . Equally so I believe Mr Speaker fails to prevent the frequent and worst abuses of Members , to the extent that any visitor in the public gallery can only be disenchanted at the jeering,braying, paper rustling and other motley examples of unacceptable habits of those elected to represent us. Do they think this is in any way edifying? Obviously Mr Speaker is often out of his depth, but Party leaders seem quite content to witness , even encourage such tactics. They should mend their ways!
It is noticeable that the Scottish Members are particularly singled out for such treatment .Irrespective of affiliation this must be deprecated by the public and outlawed by Party leaders. If not and it continues one can judge only that it is prompted by more than political disagreement. Surely not!
J Hamilton
Bearsden
IAIN Macwhirter wonders at the potential of disruptive politics to deliver on the SNP’s primary ambition, as he dismisses Labour and the Tories for, in his view, not standing up for Scotland (‘UK Tories and Labour MPs are guilty of ‘walking out’ on our right to govern’, June 17). Yet despite independence supporters portraying devolution as having been betrayed in relation to Brexit powers, the silent majority in Scotland will surely being largely unmoved. For all the SNP MPs theatrics, why should anyone take the SNP seriously on this when the very powers they are manufacturing outrage over would be returned to Brussels under what appears to be the SNP’s eventual destination for an ‘independent’ Scotland? Equally, the SNP complaints selectively ignore one of the fundamental principles of devolution, namely that Scotland is still an integral part of the UK, and that protecting the interests of all across the whole of the UK cannot be put at risk by handing a power of veto to those who openly desire to undermine its integrity.
Keith Howell,
West Linton
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