THE UK is “unusual” in the way it restricts the role of devolved nations on the international stage, an international relations expert has said.
Professor Stephen Gethins has said the UK does not seem “terribly comfortable in its own skin in the international arena" after Foreign Secretary David Cameron told the Scottish Government it had breached devolution protocols at COP28.
Cameron sent a letter to External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson threatening to revoke UK Government support for Scotland’s overseas activities after Humza Yousaf met with the Turkish president without a UK official present.
He claimed the First Minister had not given “sufficient advance notice” of the meeting – a claim the Scottish Government has denied.
READ MORE: Scottish Government report 'showcases' embassies UK threatens to shut
Gethins – who is based at St Andrews University – said it was clear Cameron had “misunderstood” the fast-paced nature of international summits with his accusations, given it is common for politicians from across the world to try to snap up opportunities to speak with world leaders.
He added it was completely legitimate for devolved administrations to engage on the international stage.
Speaking about the letter with The National, Gethins said: “On the actual accusations, I think that is to misunderstand the nature of some of these international summits where you have a large number of world leaders, influencers, policy formers in one place.
“You have to take the opportunities where you can find them and the thought that presidents and prime ministers from other countries will wait for the First Minister’s FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] minders to arrive before they start a conversation is for the birds.
“The delegates list [for COP] will be full of actors with a big role to play from other devolved administrations throughout the world. The Canadian provinces would be there, representatives for the US states, the Belgian entities.
“It is incredibly common and legitimate for these devolved administrations to engage on the international stage, it’s a normal thing to do.”
Yousaf accused Cameron (below) of being “really petty and misguided” in suggesting the UK Government would “need to consider the presence of Scottish Government offices in UK Government posts.”
Former SNP MP Gethins insisted the UK’s behaviour towards Scotland on the world stage was abnormal, especially in this particular instance given that climate change – the focus of COP – is a devolved matter.
He added: “It strikes me that the UK is quite unusual in being so restrictive in how it sees the role of the devolved administrations on the international stage.
“This is particularly unusual in the case of climate change where not only is this an international issue that is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, but it is an area where much of the heavy lifting in the UK, like other countries, will have to be done by devolved administrations and other government entities such as local authorities.”
It is not the first time the UK Government has complained about Scottish Government ministers arranging meetings with world leaders.
READ MORE: David Cameron's full letter threatening to shut Scottish embassies
Earlier this year, former foreign secretary James Cleverly claimed Robertson was using his position “inappropriately”. He announced the UK Government would hold follow-up meetings with foreign ministers who have met with Robertson or others.
This came amid apparent fears at Westminster that the Scottish Government was using its international presence to promote independence.
Gethins said it is “impossible” to stop leaders sharing their world views beyond the borders of the UK.
He said: “The UK Government does not seem terribly comfortable in its own skin in the international arena at the moment.
“We’ve seen that where it has diverged from international norms on Brexit, but also the rights and opportunities that many of us take for granted that could be under threat, for example through the discussions on the Rwanda programme.
“Scottish politicians such as the First Minister have their own international views and they are elected to represent the views of their constituents and the wider population of Scotland. They therefore have a mandate to speak out on issues they feel strongly about and one would expect them to do so.
“It is impossible to restrict their views on these issues solely to within the borders of the UK.
“We live in an international community where our interests, views and political debate are increasingly interconnected.”
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