LORD David Frost’s claim that devolution should be rolled back to save Boris Johnson’s job has been dubbed a stark reminder that Westminster “doesn’t prioritise Scotland”.
Former Brexit negotiator Frost wrote in The Telegraph that Johnson needs to “unite the kingdom” to keep his job as Prime Minister.
The senior Tory also said that the pandemic had shown the “nonsense” of having different rules in different parts of the UK.
READ MORE: Fresh calls for PM to quit after secret Tory donor advisory board revelations
The SNP have hit back at Frost’s suggestion and said Scotland should not be “forced to blindly follow” UK Government decisions they describe as “reckless”.
It comes as Johnson is set to scrap Covid isolation rules in England and rumours that the free lateral flow test scheme will be dropped, with vulnerable people and healthcare staff forced to pay.
Writing in a new column, Frost set out his plan to “save Boris, the Conservative Party and the country” - with the first stage being “rebuilding the UK nation state as a collective endeavour for everyone in it”.
He wrote: “A country with self-respect cannot have its laws set by others.
David Frost set out his plan to save Johnson's job as PM in a new column
“We must therefore finish the business of re-establishing our sovereignty in Northern Ireland – step by step, if necessary, but with no doubt about the final goal.
“We should put an end to ‘devolve and forget’ in Scotland and Wales. Local decision-making is fine, but it should come within a sensible national framework.
“The pandemic made clear the nonsense of having four different travel and public health policies.”
Ignoring the outpouring of scandals and allegations of sleaze and corruption from Downing Street, Frost said not everything had gone wrong for Johnson’s administration.
READ MORE: Irish reunification referendum 'closer than ever thanks to Brexit'
He wrote: “Admittedly, it has two huge achievements to its credit: getting us out of the EU, and delivering an exit from the pandemic without the coercive measures we have seen elsewhere.
“Merry England is one of the freest countries in the world.”
Frost also called for stopping “inward migration”, adding: “We must also be ready to insist that people who come here to live permanently should be committed to this country and determined to make it a success – to build a more cohesive Britain. This may require some difficult choices.”
SNP health spokesperson at Westminster, Martyn Day MP, hit back at Frost’s comments.
He told The National: "If we needed a reminder that Scotland, and the voices of the people that live here, are not priorities for the Westminster government then this is it.
“This is on top of the UK Government's plan to scrap free Lateral Flow Tests, despite the opposition and warnings from the Scottish and other devolved governments.
"The Scottish Government made it clear from the very start of the pandemic that a four-nations approach would be the best approach - but when the Boris Johnson's UK Government is recklessly taking steps that ignore the science and put people's lives at risks just to prevent Tory MPs from kicking him out of office, Scotland cannot be expected to blindly follow.
READ MORE: New Scottish independence Project Fear emerges amid indyref2 prospects
"Scotland, under the SNP government, will continue to take a more cautious approach and follow the science to protect people."
We previously told how Frost resigned from his role as Brexit negotiator, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stepping in to the role and in charge of heading talks with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Frost ruled out a return to the Cabinet as he opposes the incoming National Insurance hike brought in by Johnson.
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