Boris Johnson was today branded a liar over an alleged “power grab” on the devolved administrations, as the Scottish National Party’s leader in Westminster accused him of creating a “rogue state”.
SNP MP Ian Blackford spoke out on the publication of Mr Johnson’s UK Internal Market Bill, which he said amounted to “an attack on Scotland’s parliament and an affront to the people of Scotland”.
The bill has sparked headlines for overriding the prime minister’s Brexit withdrawal agreement with Brussels in a way which ministers accept breaches international law.
But it has also provoked fury in Edinburgh and Cardiff for proposing that powers on state aid and spending programmes in areas such as infrastructure, being returned from Brussels because of Brexit, should be transferred to UK government ministers and not the devolved administrations.
In a stormy exchange at prime minister’s questions in the Commons, Mr Blackford said: “As we’ve already heard, this legislation breaks international law. But it also breaks domestic law.
“The prime minister and his friends – a parcel of rogues – are creating a rogue state, one where the rule of law does not apply. Why does the Prime Minister think that he and his friends are above the law?”
Mr Johnson insisted that the bill was “about protecting jobs, protecting growth and ensuring the fluidity and safety of our UK internal market and prosperity throughout the United Kingdom” and should be welcomed throughout the country.
But he was loudly heckled by Mr Blackford, who was hauled up by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle for calling the PM a liar.
The SNP MP refused to withdraw his comment, telling Hoyle: “It is on the face of the bill that the government of the UK is going to trample over devolution. That is not a lie.” Apparently seeking to smooth waters and avoid having to order Blackford out of the chamber, the Speaker said he knew the MP “does the right thing by this House” and would accept that he had withdrawn the comment.
Mr Blackford left no doubt that he feels the row over powers coming back from Brussels will add to the SNP’s drive to force a second independence referendum.
He told MPs: “Scotland is speaking out, and I state that the Scottish parliament will reject this attack on devolution.
“So the question is will the Prime Minister break domestic law, disregard the settled will of the Scottish people, ignore the concerns of Scotland’s communities and press ahead with this bill?
“The time for Scotland’s place as an independent international law-abiding nation is almost here. Our time has come.”
Mr Johnson responded: “We will press on with this bill because I believe that his attacks on it are totally illogical.
“It actually represents a very substantial transfer of powers of sovereignty to Scotland, to Wales. It is a massive devolutionary act.
“What it also does – and I believe this is common ground across the despatch box – is it ensures the integrity of the UK internal market.
“He speaks of a transfer of powers to the UK Government. On the contrary, what he would do is transfer powers – not just over competition and state aids – back to Brussels but of course, fisheries too. And that is the policy of the Scottish Nationalist Party and it would be a disaster for our country.”
