APPALLED though I was, I was unfortunately not entirely surprised to hear Alister Jack, Westminster’s minion in Scotland, extolling their bright new form of devolution on Good Morning Scotland yesterday. No wonder they thought it would be a good time to bury bad news, since, judging by headlines in the English media, they think every single person in Scotland is as obsessed as they are by the Salmond/Sturgeon saga.

Instead of passing the Barnett consequentials to the devolved government of Scotland to spend on Scottish priorities and needs, the Tory government, which we decisively rejected, will now deal directly with local government and make the decisions on what they consider the suitable use of this money. This, he claimed, is not a power grab but “devolution in action”, and the best way to ensure that local needs are served.

READ MORE: SNP hit out at 'naked power grab' by Tories looking to spend in devolved areas

Such a pity that the architects of devolution, in passing the Scotland Act to set up Holyrood and decreeing that everything not specifically reserved was automatically devolved, did not think of this wheeze to give effect to devolution while retaining all the rights to make the decisions, as they knew best what Scotland needed! Perhaps the Tories of that time were the only ones to see this possibility, and that is why they voted against devolution. So now, instead, they have achieved this result through the Internal Market Act.

This bypassing of Holyrood is unlikely to be the last of the power grabs by these devious means. Brazilian beef? US pharmaceutical companies bidding for NHS contracts? Imposition of common prescription charges? Tuition fees? Scrapping child tax credits? Even the existence of Holyrood?

When is a power grab not a power grab? Answer: when it is “devolution in action”.

L McGregor
Falkirk

MORE evidence that the United Kingdom’s coat is on a “shoogly peg” appeared yesterday with Boris Johnson announcing a new Cabinet committee focusing on the Union. Alister Jack stumbled and bumbled to explain what happened to the previous Union Unit. He didn’t do well, so we still don’t know.

The committee is made up of the motley crew Johnson, Gove, Frost and Jack. None have a strong track record of engagement with the Scottish Parliament; more likely is the historical condescension.

READ MORE: Alister Jack insists 'nothing's gone wrong' with Union Unit despite 'disarray'

This isn’t simply because of Brexit and Covid, it has been a slow-moving juggernaut that has been heading in the direction of independence for 40 years at least. This new move is simply moving the deckchairs around on the Titanic; it wasn’t helpful then and again not now. The Scots and Welsh are heading to the lifeboats.

Alister Jack yesterday morning advised the Levelling Up Fund would be administered by the UK Government. This replacement fund was announced in November, and it confirms the UK’s intent to “take back control”. This fund was intended to replace the EU regional funds which went to devolved governments.

The UK Government will engage with local authorities directly. He did make the statement, a little ambiguously, that there would be other partnerships.

Another step down the UK Government’s path to pull back power into Westminster, reversing the direction of travel of 40 years.

Alistair Ballantyne
Birkhill, Angus

WHILE I was pleased to see The National reporting on the Treasury’s Levelling Up Fund, which allows them to dictate funding over key devolved areas, I was surprised that there was no report on Liam Fox’s question to the Deputy Speaker on Wednesday. To my mind, the question and the Speaker’s reply are the clearest signs yet that the Tories are preparing excuses to do away with the Scottish Parliament, which they never wanted to be set up in the first place.

READ MORE: Brexiteer Liam Fox claims Alex Salmond saga could ruin UK's reputation

Fox referred to a statement by Alex Salmond which said there should be barriers between a government, a political party and the prosecution authorities and then put this question: “This would be a damning indictment in a tin-pot dictatorship, but this is happening in a part of the UK. Given that the Scottish Parliament derives its authority from legislation passed in this Parliament, what mechanisms do we have to ensure that the conduct of the Scottish Government does not bring in the whole of the UK into international disrepute?”

The Deputy Speaker did not give a direct reply but she did say she was sure Fox “would use his ingenuity to bring this matter before the House again so it can be fully examined.”

Never mind the hypocrisy of Fox – who supports a government which has repeatedly broken domestic law and international agreements, as Lesley Riddoch reminded us – this seems to me a clear threat to prepare the ground for abolishing the Scottish Parliament. The tragedy is that the recent behaviour of the Scottish Government and the Crown Office is difficult to defend against such an attack.

Andrew M Fraser
Inverness