The Scottish Brexit question may not be asked

Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday would not confirm she would consult with the Scottish people, and ask the Scottish Parliament to agree, before she changes the Scotland Act after Brexit.

In response to a question from Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock, Mrs May only confirmed that she speaks to the Scottish Government a lot.

Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, Deidre said:

“It looks like the Prime Minister hasn’t even thought about what she’ll have to do after Brexit, this just shows her contempt for democracy in Scotland.

“Ms May couldn’t provide any clarity on a straightforward question about consulting with the Scottish people before ripping up and rewriting the Scotland Act.  She said last week that she was intending to make big changes to devolution but this week she refused to say that she’d ask the Scottish Parliament to agree to the changes.

“It’s not even clear from her vague response whether Theresa May even understands that her plans to seize EU powers that should come to Scotland needs changes to the devolution settlement and the Scotland Act.

“Ms May’s Tory Government has done little more than pretend to consult the Scottish Government on Europe, now it seems that the need to get consensus on changing the Scotland Act may not even have crossed her mind – she’s not even going to ask her own MSPs at Holyrood.

“She should clarify her intentions and start to respect Scotland’s institutions and the will of the Scottish people and Ruth Davidson should step up to the plate and tell her London boss that the Scottish Parliament has to get a say.”