SCOTTISH Tory MP Ross Thomson has called for David Mundell’s job to be scrapped.
The Brexiteer told a fringe event at the Scottish Tory party conference in Aberdeen the role of Scottish Secretary should be replaced with a “Union Unit” covering Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Speaking at an event called “Strengthening the Union”, Thomson said the new cabinet role would act as “almost a deputy prime minister, David Lidington figure”.
The Aberdeen South MP said there should still be a Scotland Office with junior officers, but the seat in cabinet would be given to a powerful new secretary for constitutional affairs.
Asked if he was being critical of Mundell, he said: “No, not at all. It should never be seen as a personal criticism of either [Welsh Secretary] Alun Cairns, or David, or [Northern Ireland Secretary] Karen Bradley, it’s not.”
“I genuinely do think we’ve been quite lazy on devolution in the sense that the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government have been there since 1999."
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Secretary of State for Scotland and his office play a vital role in ensuring Scotland’s voice is heard at the heart of Whitehall, and that the UK Government’s responsibilities and activities in Scotland are fully understood.”
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