UK Parties pledge to dismantle Scotland’s Parliament

Three UK parties are now threatening Scotland’s Parliament. The Conservatives, Reform UK and Restore Britain have all pledged to either abolish Holyrood or to undermine it as a political power base, because they can't win elections here. Any unite-the-right coalition will diminish even the small power that the Scottish Parliament has. 

Holyrood is vulnerable because Westminster retains the power to change the laws underpinning Scotland’s Parliament. In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Holyrood could not legislate for an independence referendum under the existing devolution settlement because that settlement draws its powers from Westminster. To be clear, that was a ruling about Holyrood’s legal powers, not a declaration that Scotland’s people lack democratic sovereignty. Scotland’s right to choose lies with the people and must be respected and not confused with the limits Westminster places on our Parliament.

Scotland has only three per cent of seats in the Westminster Parliament, where members of the bloated House of Lords have more constitutional right to rule Scotland than Holyrood. Westminster can essentially do what they wish to Scotland’s Parliament. 

Attacks on Holyrood are attacks on the people of Scotland

Though its powers are not nearly equivalent to the full powers of an independent country, the Scottish Parliament has been able to use what it has to better the lives of many of Scotland’s people. Without Holyrood, Scotland would have to revert to the English status quo.

In England, especially in the north, child poverty is among the highest in Europe. Scotland’s child poverty and infant mortality rates are now lower than England’s and really significantly below those of the north of England, although before the establishment of a Scottish Parliament it pretty much matched the north of England on these metrics. 

In England, students graduate with levels of debt that are three times what Scottish students have and they pay staggering levels of interest. England's NHS has been blighted by strikes. Scotland has more medics per head and 95% of Scots are registered with a dentist, a much higher rate than England. The lack of access to prescriptions for many in England means chronic health conditions go untreated much more often than in Scotland. 

The Conservatives’ shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie recently announced they would change planning laws to impose nuclear power plants on Scotland. These are very costly, impose a burden on future generations, and are a poor partner for a renewable-based grid because they cannot be turned on and off to make the best use of available wind and solar. Scotland does not want them - but however we vote, the Conservatives have sworn to force them upon us if they form the next UK government.  

Abolishing Holyrood would mean: 

• No more Scottish child payment

• No more Scottish Baby Box

• No more extra health visitors

• No more Best Start food payments for new mothers

• No more universal free prescriptions

• No more free university education

• No more under-22s’ free bus travel

• No more over-60s' free bus travel

• No more mitigation of the spare room tax

• No more higher pay for NHS staff

• No more free personal care

• No more “fares fair’ rail fare freeze

• No more more progressive tax system

The real reason for the threat - Scotland keeps electing independence-supporting MSPs

Scotland has angered the UK parties by voting in the biggest pro-independence majority ever, with 73 out of 129 MPS. Scots just keep voting for pro-independence parties. This is despite the barrage of attacks by the mainstream media on Holyrood and pro-independence parties. 

An independent Scotland would have no more need to mitigate Westminster policies; its budgets would not be set as a ‘consequential’ of what England wants and it could chart its own course. 

The Conservatives have abolished Scottish democratic institutions before

The Conservatives have a history of abolishing Scotland’s democratic institutions - Glasgow was once part of the Strathclyde Regional Council. which was the most powerful local government body in Europe. It covered nearly half the entire population of Scotland (roughly 2.5 million people). It stretched from the tip of Argyll and Bute all the way down to the depths of Ayrshire.

Now we do not support the idea of mega councils but Strathclyde Regional Council is the main reason Scottish Water remains in public hands. Strathclyde Regional Authority held an advisory referendum to test the strength of feeling about water privatisation in 1994. They held a postal ballot. There was a huge turnout and 97.2 per cent wanted Scottish Water to remain in public hands. 

Soon after that, (that is not a coincidence) the Conservative Government in Westminster decided to abolish Strathclyde. This decision to abolish first the GLC in London and then Strathclyde was not a sincere attempt at local government reform: it was nakedly political. It was done because it was a power base they could not control and that sets the precedent. Unionist parties cannot close the parliament without a referendum but they can diminish it to the extent that it has no practical powers. 

The lesson is clear

For as long as Scotland remains part of the UK, it is accepting a situation where it has no right to self-government. Westminster has chosen to give Holyrood some small but meaningful powers. But because Scots continually vote for pro-independence majorities, they have decided to take it back. Only with independence can Scotland be sure of getting the governments it elects.