Scotland’s Brexit minister has accused the UK Government of “empty rhetoric” on devolution, following the Supreme Court’s Article 50 decision.
In a ministerial statement, Michael Russell MSP claimed the ruling – that the Scottish Parliament does not have the right to veto Brexit – revealed how the Conservatives had gone back on their promises to treat Scotland as “an equal partner”.
He said the Scottish Government will publish a memorandum urging MSPs not to give their support to the triggering of Article 50.
Mr Russell added: “It is becoming clearer by the day that Scotland’s voice is simply not being heard or listened to within the UK.
“The claims about Scotland being an equal partner are being exposed as empty, diversionary rhetoric.”
However, Scottish Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins accused the SNP of “stoking new grievance”, adding it was the UK that was the member state of the EU and not Scotland.
He added: “These matters are not devolved and nothing in ‘the vow’ or in the Smith Commission or in the Scotland Act – any of them – has ever suggested that they should be.”
Scottish Labour MSP, Lewis Macdonald, warned Mr Russell that Scots “do not want to turn our backs on Europe and we do not want to turn our backs on the rest of the UK”.
Meanwhile Ross Greer, a Scottish Green MSP, called on the SNP administration to bring forward a Holyrood vote on independence because “it’s becoming increasingly clear that we must put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands”.
Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie urged Mr Russell to back his party’s bid for a referendum on the Brexit deal.
A UK Government spokeswoman responded: “The devolution settlement is clear that foreign affairs are reserved to the UK Parliament. The well-established Sewel Convention applies only to devolved matters.
“The 59 MPs who represent Scotland in the UK Parliament will scrutinise, debate and vote on the Article 50 Bill, alongside representatives from across the United Kingdom.”
