DOUGLAS Ross has denied the Tories' illegal Internal Market Bill is a power grab that threatens Scottish devolution.
Ministers have admitted the legislation, which has its second reading in the Commons tonight, will breach international law as it overrides key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement agreed between the UK and the EU.
Overriding the Withdrawal Agreement means a significant shake up of state aid and spending rules, and more power being handed to London over regulations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
READ MORE: Scottish Tory leader throws weight behind illegal internal market bill
Ross was called following a speech by senior SNP MP Pete Wishart, who accused the UK Government of being a "pariah state", adding: "If they want a no deal Brexit, go ahead, have it, we'll wish you all the best, but do not bring down our beautiful nation in the process.
Wishart, SNP chairman of the Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, told MPs: “Never before has there been such a sustained attack on our Parliament or our democracy.
“The invention and development of the idea of a UK single market has been one of the most spectacular, dishonest pieces of political chicanery we have ever witnessed in recent times.
“The bare-faced nonsense of this being a power surge is contradicted by practically every detail of this Bill.”
READ MORE: Brexit: SNP hit out at Tories for 'bypassing the Scottish Government' with power grab
He said clause 46 of the Bill allows the UK Government to “legislate directly in devolved responsibilities,” adding: “It’s a mechanism designed to bypass the Scottish Government.”
But Ross denied the Bill was a power grab.
He said: “It cannot be a power grab when over 100 extra powers are going to Holyrood, going to the Scottish Parliament, going to the Scottish Government and not one is being taken away.”
Ross added: “This Bill at its heart, at its core, at its centre is about jobs and businesses and isn’t it telling tonight that in all the SNP speeches I’ve listened to, jobs and businesses have not been mentioned once?
"The SNP do not speak for Scotland. The SNP are not Scotland.
"I am proud to be Scottish and British and when the SNP stand up and claim they speak for the whole of Scotland, they do not, and the honourable gentleman [Pete Wishart] would be advised to stop making out as if they do."
READ MORE: Brexit: Anger as Tory MP Bernard Jenkin says deal should be scrapped
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel