REMEMBER all those times the Scottish Tories claimed they would defend Scotland's interests in Westminster?
Well, we've just been served up yet another example of how laughable that claim really is.
At Scotland Questions in the Commons, Mhairi Black had the chance to press Scotland Secretary David Mundell on the devolution of immigration powers to Holyrood. And it exposes exactly why the Scottish Tories can't be trusted.
The SNP MP said the Migration Advisory Committee “accepts the dangers to Scotland’s labour force and economy under the current UK system".
She continued: "64% of Scottish voters now want to see immigration policy devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
“Given that we’ve seen the reality of the cruel system the UK Government has implemented, why not give the Scottish Parliament the right to do things differently?”
And this is at the heart of these calls – Scotland does not want the hostile environment towards immigrants created by the Tories. We need to be able to take our own approach.
So, did Mundell recognise the divide in sentiment across the border? Of course not.
We'd encourage you to watch the clip below, as it highlights how desperate he is to dodge the question better than written text ever could.
I asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he agreed with the 64% of Scottish voters who want to see immigration policy devolved to the Scottish Parliament but instead of answering that question he talked about the thoughts of business. pic.twitter.com/lqPsilIF97
— Mhairi Black MP (@MhairiBlack) October 17, 2018
The Scotland Secretary said: "In my earlier response I made clear that when these items … these matters were considered in depth by the Smith Commission it was agreed that immigration would not be devolved.
"And at the recent CBI Scotland dinner which was attended by the First Minister of Scotland, the director general of CBI in Scotland made clear that business in Scotland did not support the devolution of immigration and having a separate immigration policy in Scotland.”
As amusing as it is to see Mundell bringing up the Smith Commission, it's also interesting to note the absolute non-response on the poll itself.
To this Scottish Tory, a business leader's opinion is more important than the will of the Scottish people – and, it seems, the immigrants we're being held back from helping.
So, what was that about standing up for Scotland?
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