PETE Wishart has hit back at a Scottish Labour MP who accused SNP Westminster politicians of trying to “put a protective shield around the Scottish Government”.
MP for Livingston Gregor Poynton is among those looking to become the next chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee – a position previously held by Wishart.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he said SNP MPs on the committee “weren’t taking responsibility for the areas that were devolved and fully under their remit”.
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He also added that if he were elected, “part of” the committee’s job would be holding the Scottish Government to account.
The job of the committee is to look at how the Scotland Office is run and to scrutinise relations with Holyrood.
When asked by the Record how he thought the committee had been run in the past, Poynton said: “The SNP MPs essentially tried to protect the Scottish Government, often blaming either the councils or the UK Government for issues related to devolved policies.
“They weren’t taking responsibility for areas fully under their control.”
Responding on Twitter/X, Wishart said: “This is a thoroughly depressing article. The SAC is one of the few spaces in Scottish politics where party allegiance can be set aside for good cross party inquiry.
“Labour now want to politicise it and use it to hold another Government to account. Awful.
“And as for this rubbish about ‘protecting the Scottish Gov’ we only had three members out of 11 and the Scottish Government gave evidence in practically every inquiry.
“If Labour use the committee with hostile intent that is unlikely to happen in the future.”
When asked if he would use the committee to hold the Scottish Government to account, Poynton said: “I think that would be part of it too. We represent our constituents, and they want us to understand why the attainment gap in education continues to widen.”
He also cited “long waiting lists in the NHS” and a “lack of investment in infrastructure”.
“Twenty-five years after the creation of the Scottish Parliament, there is also an opportunity to renew and strengthen devolution and improve the ways in which the UK and Scottish governments and parliaments work together in the best interests of the people of Scotland,” he added.
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