ALISTER Jack has been accused of promoting a "childish and dangerous" ideology after saying he likes the Tory Government’s Internal Market Bill “even more” because it is opposed by the SNP.
The legislation, which will give Westminster oversight on devolved policy areas after Brexit, has been dubbed a power grab by the Scottish Government.
But the Scottish Secretary has been condemned by Mhairi Black after saying opposition to the bill has only increased his support for it.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Jack said: "They [the SNP] don't like the bill, which makes me like it even more."
The Scottish Tory MP also attacked Holyrood ministers for not abandoning ambitions for independence during the pandemic.
He said: “I think it's important that both governments work better together. I often feel that the Scottish Government look at every decision through the lens of separation, rather than thinking about the economy of Scotland.”
Jack added: “We have to save lives, but we also have to save livelihoods. And it's what's good for the Scottish economy which is good for Scottish jobs and Scottish prosperity, and I think that's terribly important going forward that the Scottish Government look at these decisions and look at the support the Treasury's giving and take into account the fact that we are one United Kingdom.”
Alister Jack accuses the Scottish Government of 'looking at every decision through the lens of separation'.
— Representing Border (@ITVBorderRB) October 6, 2020
The @ScotSecofState says Holyrood and Westminster need to work better together to respond to the #COVID19 pandemic pic.twitter.com/cXrMrwVGNi
Black, the SNP’s shadow Scotland secretary, accused Jack of pandering to Brexiteers instead of standing up for Scots.
She told The National: "The fact that the Tory Scottish Secretary appears to base his support of key policies not on the impact it will have on people's livelihoods, jobs and businesses, but on whether the Scottish Government likes it shows the childish, dangerous and ideological road his government is determined to follow.
"How he can say he wants both governments to work together successfully, after stating his low standards for supporting policy is beyond me.”
She added: "The rule-breaking Internal Market Bill is an affront to democracy that threatens to dismantle the very foundations of devolution and centralise powers in Westminster.
"However, Alister Jack is once again putting reckless hardline Tory Brexiteer ideology ahead of the interests of the people of Scotland."
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