SCOTTISH Labour has been accused of “falling in line behind Boris Johnson” after claiming in its manifesto that Brexit would result in “many more powers” for the Scottish Parliament.
Anas Sarwar’s party’s assertion is at odds with his colleagues in the Welsh Government, which has taken legal action over an “attack on its competence” made in the Tories’ Internal Market Act.
Mark Drakeford’s Welsh Labour say the post-Brexit act creates “difficulties” and “uncertainty” around the Senedd’s ability to legislate.
They say the bill creates “wide Henry VIII powers” which UK ministers could use to “cut down the devolution settlement”.
However, in the election manifesto released on April 22, Scottish Labour introduces its “approach to democratic renewal” by saying: “A strong recovery will only be achieved with strong national institutions that work in the interests of people across Scotland.
“The UK’s departure from the EU will result in many more powers for the Scottish Parliament in the coming years.”
READ MORE: Welsh Government to take legal action over Westminster 'power grab' act
The Scottish Greens said the assertion made Labour “seem confused”, while the SNP told The National that Sarwar’s party was “agreeing with Boris Johnson's deceitful claim that the Internal Market Act does not undermine devolution”.
The Tories in London previously claimed that “all powers that have been devolved will remain devolved” after Brexit.
This has since been disproved, as Holyrood’s power to allocate European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIs), which accounted for more than £780 million of funding between 2014 and 2020, has been taken away.
Instead, the UK Government will use powers created in the Internal Market Act to bypass the devolved administrations and spend the money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) in devolved areas.
READ MORE: Westminster outlines plans to bypass Holyrood and spend in devolved areas
When business secretary, Tory MP Alok Sharma claimed that 111 new powers would flow to Holyrood as a result of Brexit. However, the SNP and Welsh Government denied this claim, branding the Tories’ act a “power grab”.
Michael Russell described the 111 powers pointed to by Sharma as “a mishmash of things the Scottish Parliament already has, things they’ve already decided we won’t have ... and things that could be automatically overridden by a decision by the UK Government”.
Responding to the claim in Scottish Labour’s manifesto, the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Southern, Catriona MacDonald (below), said Sarwar’s party had “once again joined the Tories”.
She went on: "Scotland's voice and vote has been completely disregarded by Boris Johnson's Tory government, which has launched an unprecedented power grab on our Scottish Parliament.
“Meanwhile, Scottish Labour have sat on their hands, now they are even agreeing with Boris Johnson's deceitful claim that the Internal Market Act does not undermine devolution.
"Scottish Labour failed to stand up for Scotland's vote to remain in the EU, and now they are once again falling in line behind Boris Johnson as he undermines our Scottish Parliament.
“This is despite the fact that the SNP has been joined in resisting the Internal Market Act by the Welsh Labour Government, who recognise it as the disgraceful power grab that it is.
"Only the SNP will protect the powers of our Scottish Parliament and put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens told The National: “Scottish Labour seem confused. Brexit has already seen powers return to Westminster, not the other way around.
“Indeed the Internal Market Bill placed a veto in the hands of the Tory Government over any devolved decision that gets in the way of their post-Brexit trade deals and big business friends.”
READ MORE: Tories 'move indyref2 goalposts' after Ruth Davidson's 2017 comments resurface
Scottish Labour's constitution spokesperson, Colin Smyth, said the claims in his party’s manifesto are a “statement of fact”.
Smyth said: "We’ll take no lectures from the SNP who, just like the Tories, don’t support devolution. We have been clear that attempts by the UK Government to undermine the current settlement are utterly unacceptable and we’ll continue to oppose them.
"However, it is simply a statement of fact that many decisions previously made by the EU will now be made by the Scottish Parliament. The SNP are not only unwilling to use the powers Scotland has, but are now refusing to even acknowledge them.
"Scottish Labour are focused on using the powers we do have, old and new, to deliver a national recovery for Scotland."
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