Keith Brown: How one week showed Scotland's tale of two governments

Scotland has two governments, that is plain to see, but both have entirely separate priorities and those were fully on show this week.

At Holyrood, the SNP has once again been at the forefront of world-beating, progressive policy. Starting off with the passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Bill. This was landmark legislation that has not been seen anywhere else in the world.

It will mean children and young people are involved in the decisions that affect their lives and that children’s rights are always respected, protected and fulfilled by public authorities.

We also saw a major step-change in with the passing of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) Bill, which was presented by the SNP Scottish Government. The change means that a victim of domestic abuse will not be in the unimaginable situation where they are forced to be homeless as a result of abuse. It will also give police greater powers to ban suspected abusers from re-entering their home and from approaching or contacting the person they have abused.

The change was hailed as a “milestone” by Scottish Women’s Aid in protecting women, children and young people from abusers.

Finally, this week we saw a significant development in how Scotland’s public transport is run as ScotRail will be effectively brought in to public ownership in 2022 when the current Abellio contract runs out.

Again, Scotland will be the only nation in the UK to have a fully nationalised rail service that benefits the people who use the service and is not just for those who want commuters to line their pockets. This was a sensible decision taken by the Transport Secretary Michael Matheson as it will save the taxpayer around £10 million that goes in to tendering out the contract for a new service provider – prudent financial decisions being made in the middle of a pandemic.

Although this is welcome progress in improving our rail service, it is not what the Scottish Government would wish to fully do. The SNP would want to see an entirely integrated service, which includes the rail service and the rail network. Unfortunately, the power over the network operator, Network Rail, lies as a reserved power at Westminster.

That was the story of one government this week, putting the people first in the midst of a pandemic. Now we turn to the headline actions of the Tories at Westminster this week.

Firstly, there was a commitment made to increase the number of nuclear warheads by around 40%, wasting millions of pounds that could be used to fund our under-pressure NHS and social care or feed our most vulnerable children. A couple of weeks ago we were told there was not enough money to give NHS and public sector workers a worthwhile pay rise, but the Tories have found money for international relations posturing.

That is where the priorities of the Tories lie. Let’s be clear, nuclear weapons have no place in an independent Scotland.

Not to mention as an aside the £2.6m spent on a Downing Street briefing room, complete with four Union flags and a Henry hoover. Boris Johnson can’t help but model himself on his old pal Donald Trump.

We also witnessed this week Westminster pass through the Commons one of the most draconian bills in recent memory. The Policing Bill restricts the basic constitutional right to protest and does more to protect statues in London than it does for women walking the streets.

Despite outcries from women’s and human rights groups, even former Tory PM Theresa May, the Boris Johnson and his Tories railed it through parliament – attacking basic democratic rights.

These acts by the Tories again demonstrate the difference in priorities between our two governments – one in Edinburgh that puts its people first and works with them and the one in London that works against them and their best interests.

In May, Scotland will have a simple choice, put our future firmly in our own hands with both votes SNP or put it into the hands of Boris Johnson.