WATCHING the shenanigans at Westminster, you may be wondering what Labour are up to by capitulating at every vote, sitting on their hands and by doing so letting the Tories ride roughshod over the Scottish Parliament. I asked myself: “What will Labour and the Liberal Democrats gain when Theresa May does take back powers that are now in the hands of the Scottish Parliament?”

By returning powers to Westminster, Westminster can vote to ends the Barnett consequentials (something the Tories hate), end the ability of the SNP government to find extra money for increased child care provision, free tuition fees, free prescription charges, free bridge tolls, extra money for the NHS in Scotland and their house-building programme ... and end the reason why people in Scotland vote SNP.

The equilibrium will then be restored, “Westminster Rule OK”. Labour and the LibDems don’t want a strong SNP in Scotland, and if they can’t vote them out of Scotland they will simply make the Scottish Parliament and therefore the SNP party irrelevant. There is no difference between Labour the Liberal Democrats, or Tories at Westminster, they are birds of one feather and will always flock together. The people of Scotland must stand firm in defence of their parliament at Holyrood and avoid death by a thousand cuts.

Walter Hamilton
St Andrews