SNP's 'wrecking bill' to cause constitutional chaos
The SNP has been accused of launching a “wrecking bill” on Brexit in a bid to cause “constitutional confusion and chaos”.
Holyrood debated stage one of the Scottish Government’s so-called continuity bill on leaving the EU today.
However, Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins described the legislation – introduced despite being ruled beyond the parliament’s competence by the Presiding Officer – as “unnecessary, seriously flawed and ill-thought through”.
He said the move would jeopardise an agreement between the Scottish and UK governments, and that the use of emergency legislation against the will of parliamentary authorities could set a dangerous precedent.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said:
“This bill is unnecessary, seriously flawed, ill-thought through and incoherent.
“That has been compounded by the reckless speed with which the SNP is railroading this legislation through our parliament.
“The bill is also incompetent – our very own Presiding Officer has told us so.
“Yet the SNP carries on regardless of the views of the Presiding Officer, regardless of the rule of law, and regardless of the very devolution settlement it clams to champion.
“It’s not a bill for continuity – it’s a wrecking bill to cause constitutional confusion and chaos.
“It fails to meet the tests set by the very general principles it seeks to reserve.”