North-East MSP calls for devolved consultation following historic judgement

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has today called for the Scottish Parliament to be consulted with during the next stages of Brexit negotiations.

This follows today’s historic judgement as the UK’s highest court today ruled unanimously that the Prime Minister had acted unlawfully when he suspended Parliament.

Mr Stevenson asked the First Minister in her statement today if section 60 of the judgement recognises a legal duty on the Prime Minister to consult with the Scottish and Welsh legislatures as they seek a new Brexit deal.

The defeat of the Tory Government highlights the sovereignty of Parliament, and the Supreme Courts president Lady Hale said the unanimous decision of the eleven justices meant Parliament had effectively not been prorogued - the decision was null and of no effect.

Stewart Stevenson MSP commented,

“Today’s ruling is one of historic proportions. Few of us thought that the court would go so far as actually to quash the prorogation.

“The unanimous judgement sends a strong message of democratic outrage to the Tory Government. The Prime Minister must accept that you can’t by pass democracy and must now seek to work together with the devolved institutions of the UK to secure a deal.

“The Parliament should reconvene as soon as possible and Mr Johnston must resign having acted out with the law.”

In response to Mr Stevenson’s question the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said,

“Paragraph 60 of the judgement does talk about the consultation that is required with the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

“I hope that any steps that are taken now by the Westminster Government, that this principal of consulting the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Parliament is respected in a way that it hasn’t always been previously.”