Peter Wishart, Douglas Ross and Mhairi Black clashed during a sitting of the Scottish Affairs Committee DOUGLAS Ross has made an astonishing personal attack on Pete Wishart calling him inept and poor at his job in a intensely heated exchange in the Commons. The Scottish Tory leader launched a verbal assault on Wishart, who chairs the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, highly criticising how he convenes the cross-party group at Westminster. Wishart had opened the committee earlier – the first one to be held since last Thursday s election – pressing Scottish Secretary Alister Jack on the outcome. The question appeared to annoy Ross and other Tory MPs on the committee.
- A Counter-State Threats Bill aims to give the security services and law enforcement agencies more tools to tackle hostile activity by foreign states and foreign actors. Security is also the target of the Telecommunications (Security) Bill, which promises to protect the UK networks;
- The Dormant Assets Bill will provide around an additional £880 million for social and environmental initiatives across the UK;
- Freeports also stem from the National Insurance Contributions Bill, with discussions ongoing to make the “benefits” UK wide;
- The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill aims to extend 5G coverage, while the Professional Qualifications Bill promises to help employers find workers across the UK when facing shortages;
A MAJORITY of voters in Scotland believe it was wrong for the UK Government to launch a legal challenge to legislation passed in Holyrood to improve children’s rights, according to a new poll. The survey is the latest finding to come from the Panelbase company with earlier results published this week on voters’ views on Douglas Ross’s comments on gypsy travellers and Labour’s policy on a second independence referendum. Boris Johnson’s ministers announced several weeks ago they would take a challenge to the Supreme Court over a law passed in the Scottish Parliament that incorporates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law. Ministers in London say the new legislation – which was passed unanimously in Holyrood just weeks before recess – is outwith Holyrood’s legal competence and encroaches on Westminster’s powers.
UK Government challenges two Holyrood Bills THE UK Government has mounted a controversial legal challenge to two Holyrood Bills, arguing parts of them are unsound and encroach on Westminster sovereignty. The UK law officers today referred the Bills - on children’s rights and local government - to the UK Supreme Court for a ruling on their competence. Deputy First Minister John Swinney called the challenge to the children s rights bill morally repugnant and said he would see the UK Government in court. The referral means the Bills, which were both passed unanimously by MSPs last month, will not receive royal assent and become law under a decision is delivered.