The Scottish Conservatives have today written to SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf urging him to drop the “inflammatory and polarising language” and govern for the whole of Scotland if he becomes First Minister.
MSP Sharon Dowey expressed her dismay after the health secretary described the UK administration as “a foreign government” during a leadership debate last night, and then defended making the remark today during an interview on BBC Good Morning Scotland.
When questioned during the debate over the UK Government issuing a Section 35 order in relation to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, he said: “If we were independent, we would not have a foreign government, for example, coming in and vetoing our legislation.”
The shadow culture minister warned that Humza Yousaf risks widening the constitutional splits in Scotland which were fuelled during Nicola Sturgeon’s reign, at a time when the country was crying out for a leader to heal divisions.
She added that Scotland has two governments and that the SNP leadership frontrunner – who has spoken of his intention to be a ‘First Activist’ as well as First Minister – had offended a large number of Scots with his “dog whistle to extreme Nationalists”.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for culture, Europe and international development Sharon Dowey MSP said: “Humza Yousaf needs to drop this inflammatory and polarising language now.
“To refer to the UK Government as ‘a foreign government’ is plain wrong: Scotland has two governments, and he knows this.
“By choosing to use this divisive rhetoric he is sending a dog whistle to extreme Nationalists and showing contempt to the majority of the population who support Scotland’s place in the Union.
“Scotland doesn’t need or want a ‘First Activist’, it requires a First Minister who will heal the divisions that have blighted Scotland ever since 2014.
“But rather than seek to mend the splits in Scotland that Nicola Sturgeon helped foster, Humza Yousaf seems intent on exacerbating them.
“He claimed last night that he wanted to raise the tone of political debate, yet by doubling down on this offensive comment today, he is lowering it.”
Notes
A copy of Sharon Dowey’s letter is attached.
When asked during the Times Radio leadership debate about the UK Government issuing a Section 35 Order in relation to the GRR Bill, Humza Yousaf said: “If we were independent we would not have a foreign government, for example, coming in and vetoing our legislation.”
Partial transcript of Humza Yousaf’s BBC GMS interview today:
Humza Yousaf: My starting principle has not changed my starting principle is very much the case that we should challenge that section 35 Order, challenge that Westminster veto, that position hasn't changed. I think that is a position that isn't just supported I have to say by SNP MSPs, you've heard similar from cross-party MSPs, who are angered by the fact that the UK Government is using their veto on a piece legislation that was passed by the majority of Holyrood but of course any First Minister would have to take and make sense of that legal address.
Laura Maxwell: You described Westminster as a foreign government vetoing this legislation whenever you were speaking about it last night. What does that say to the people that you still need to persuade?
HY: Well, that's incorrect, actually. What I was doing was responding to a counter argument being put by one of my colleagues, which was that we should act as though we're an independent country. I was making the point, we're not an independent country but if we were an independent country, we wouldn't have another government, a foreign government, for example, striking our legislation, that just wouldn't happen in a , if you're an independent state.
LM: Does using language like that though really do much to persuade people who haven't yet been persuaded by independence to move to your cause.
HY: Two things; one thing is the fact of course, that if you are independent, another government is a foreign government. And secondly, I don't understand why you view the word foreign as a dirty word. That's not a dirty word people are foreign, people are foreigners in our country.
LM: Well, there are people listening to this who might say that Scotland has two governments.
HY: Scotland does have two governments. I think you're misunderstanding the point. The point I was making was that if Scotland was independent, we wouldn't be in a position where the foreign government, if we were independent, and I stress that point, any foreign government would interfere in our legislation – that just wouldn't be the case. So, the point that I'm making, of course, is that while we are within the UK, while we have, as you rightly say, two governments, Scottish Government, UK Government. We are in a position where the UK Government is choosing to veto legislation that has been passed by the majority in the Scottish Parliament to me that's not an acceptable position and one I would look to challenge.