IN response to Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh’s ’s column on Ruth Davidson’s failure to back the Scottish Parliament in the face of a blatant power grab by her Westminster bosses, I suspect Davidson knows full well that Theresa May’s plan is to undermine Holyrood (Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: It’s time for Ruth Davidson to stand up for her own parliament, The National, September 20).
Furthermore, I suspect Davidson is quite happy with this state of affairs despite being a serving MSP herself. The Tories fought against the Parliament ever coming into existence. Even now that it has become the centre of political life in Scotland, the Tories still regard Westminster as the place to be, with membership of the Holyrood parliament considered a “consolation prize”.
Looking at the Tories’ record, you can see the pattern starting already. The first lie was the one about continued membership of the EU in 2014. Only if we stayed in the UK could we be guaranteed our position in the EU, or so the argument ran. This was exposed as bogus in June last year.
Despite her spirited effort on behalf of the Remain campaign, Davidson’s silence since has been deafening. We now have the news that the powers that currently reside at Holyrood, especially in matters relating to the EU, are to be returned not to Holyrood, but to Westminster.
Despite a “powers bonanza” promised after the Leave result, this has since evaporated. It seems now that “not all powers” will be returned to Holyrood as promised. In fact, at this rate, we will be lucky if any powers are returned at all.
I suspect Davidson knows this perfectly well and is holding out for her just rewards for “services rendered”. Perhaps a seat in the House of Lords, or a safe seat somewhere in England? She would probably be guaranteed that, as would the most important players in the “Scottish” Conservative Party once the Holyrood Parliament had successfully been neutered.
The other minor bit players, the cameo role actors would be considered “collateral damage” and left to their own devices.
Alastair Naughton
Address supplied
THE Tories are coming out with not an offer of conciliation but with an ultimatum: come on board or suffer the consequences. We have to ask ourselves: would Ruth Davidson put the future of the Conservative and Unionist Party in jeopardy by stepping out of line, or has she been told to up the ante (remember that flattering Cabinet meeting invite?)
Nothing, absolutely nothing, the Tory Government has done to date would suggest there will be any back-tracking on reserved and/or devolved powers from the EU. The Vow was a collection of lies, the Smith Commission a trap. What is this intended to be? Mr Russell should give not one inch and should walk away unless something real and concrete, written in black and white, is on offer.
Lorna Campbell
via thenational.scot
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