THE Conservative Leader of the House of Commons has signalled that he hopes for devolution to be ended by the current UK Government, sparking fears that Westminster aims to see "devolution demolished".
Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the “constitutional tinkering” of the last Labour government had “weakened our parliament and has helped to divide the United Kingdom”.
The North East Somerset MP added that he hopes “that this government finds an effective way of restoring our constitution to its proper form”.
Rees-Mogg has today shared his comments on Twitter adding: “Under Labour, our constitution was vandalised and the whole of the United Kingdom suffered. We must undo their foolish tinkering.”
READ MORE: Devolution: All the Scottish Tories who defended Boris Johnson's 'disaster' claim
National columnist Andrew Tickell questioned what Rees-Mogg was proposing, asking: “Meaning what, exactly? Devolution? The Human Rights Act? Getting some (if not all) of the hereditaries out of the House of Lords?”
As well as initiating devolution, Labour introduced the 1998 Human Rights Act and reformed the House of Lords in 1999, removing all but a handful of hereditary peers.
Labour also created the Supreme Court in a 2005 act, which came into force in October 2009.
The Tories have had issues with the UK Supreme Court after it ruled Boris Johnson's proroguing of Parliament was illegal, something which Rees-Mogg insisted was "completely proper constitutional procedure".
The Tories have also been accused of seeking to undermine the Human Rights Act after vague plans to "update" it were included in their manifesto.
Yesterday in the Commons, Imran Ahmad Khan, the Tory MP for Wakefield, had asked Rees-Mogg when he would “find time for a debate with the purpose of examining and an eye to correcting the constitutional vandalism inflicted upon this country by the Labour government of 1997 to 2010, specifically regarding the roles and scope of the Supreme Court and the Lord Chancellor?”
Under Labour, our constitution was vandalised and the whole of the United Kingdom suffered. We must undo their foolish tinkering. pic.twitter.com/06jOYP5tYS
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) November 27, 2020
Rees-Mogg said that he appreciated his fellow Tory’s point, adding: “The last Labour government decided to take a wrecking ball to our constitution and made a bit of a muddle with it.
“Some of their most foolish interventions were their constitutional blunders which were out of step with many centuries of our parliamentary democracy. Blairite constitutional tinkering has weakened our parliament and has helped to divide the United Kingdom.
“I hope that this government finds an effective way of restoring our constitution to its proper form.”
READ MORE: Scottish politicians slam PM for claim devolution is 'disaster north of Border'
Writing for the Telegraph last year, Rees-Mogg had much warmer words for the uncodified UK constitution.
He said it was a "beautifully crafted system" which "allows for a balance between the various powers of the State who exercise their control on behalf the people".
Commenting on Rees-Mogg's latest remarks, Tricia Marwick, a former presiding officer at Holyrood, said: “This is what they actually think.
“Johnson did not misspeak when he spoke [of devolution being a disaster].
“We voted overwhelmingly in a referendum for a ScotParl, voted against Brexit and have voted to express our preferences for Scottish Governments. Isn’t that really what they just can’t thole?”
SNP MSP Tom Arthur commented: “Not just a ‘disaster’, it seems that the UK Government also regard the Scottish Parliament as a piece of ‘foolish tinkering’ that they ‘must undo’.
“Scotland faces a choice next May: we can build back better with independence or risk seeing devolution demolished by the Tories.”
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said: "[Rees-Mogg]'s talking about the Scottish Parliament and he's proving clearer than we ever could why independence is both essential and urgently needed."
The Welsh independence movement Yes Cymru said that Rees-Mogg’s words were a clear signal that “Westminster is coming for our devolution”.
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