BORIS Johnson has been accused of trying to “rewrite history” after insisting Scots voted against more powers for Holyrood in the independence referendum.
Speaking during a Commons debate with Ian Blackford, the Tory leader suggested that voters missed their chance in 2014 when 55% of them backed the No side.
The Prime Minister made no mention of “The Vow” – a pledge from Unionist chiefs to transfer extensive new powers to Edinburgh.
The SNP said the remarks are evidence of Johnson’s selective memory and prove that he “can’t be trusted”.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson refuses to deny he wants to snatch powers from Holyrood
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Blackford asked the Prime Minister where he believes full spending and decision-making powers should be held – Holyrood or Westminster.
Johnson responded: "Obviously there is a very considerable, and there has been, a massive devolution of powers to Scotland and the Scottish people had the opportunity to vote for more in 2014, as he will recall in a once-in-a-generation event, and they chose decisively to reject that I recall and I think that he said it was a once-in-a-generation event as well.
"They now have the opportunity to vote to support the further devolution of powers in the UK Internal Market Bill and I hope that he will join us in the lobbies in support of that."
Blackford hit back at the suggestion the vote was a “once-in-a-generation” and went on to claim that Tory MPs want to get rid of their “incompetent” leader.
After the session in Parliament, SNP depute Leader Keith Brown criticised Johnson for claiming Scots had voted against new powers in 2014.
He told The National: "This is classic Boris Johnson trying to rewrite history for his own benefit. An intrinsic part of the 2014 vote was the Tory promise of further powers to be devolved to Holyrood.
"The so-called Vow, just two days before the vote, was accompanied by all sorts of fanciful rhetoric about how powerful Holyrood would become if Scots voted to stay in the Union.
"While some new powers were devolved, they fell woefully short of what had been promised and, once again, Scotland learned through bitter experience that Tory promises are effectively worthless.”
He added: "We know Johnson has fallen out with his old pal David Cameron, who signed the Vow, but to deliberately ignore a promise made by a previous Conservative Prime Minister again demonstrates Johnson just can't be trusted."
READ MORE: Alex Salmond: The Vow DID swing independence referendum result
The Vow was published by the Daily Record two days before the 2014 plebiscite. It followed shortly after a shock Sunday Times poll which put Yes in the lead.
The Record’s former editor Murray Foote – now the SNP’s head of communications and research at Holyrood – brought together the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, with an agreement to enhance the responsibilities for Holyrood if Scots voted to stay in the Union.
Its impact has been disputed, with Foote insisting it was not responsible for the No majority. Alex Salmond, however, contested that interpretation in 2018.
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