Post Office Horizon scandal produces rare example of SNP asking for Westminster 'power grab' – Scotsman comment

Thankfully, Humza Yousaf appears willing to work with Rishi Sunak’s government to clear wrongfully convicted sub-postmasters as quickly as possible

The pressing need to clear the innocent victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal has produced a rare example of an issue on which Scotland’s two governments appear willing to work together. Indeed, Humza Yousaf has suspended the near-constant cries of ‘blame Westminster’ for long enough to suggest that the “easiest and quickest route” to justice would be for the Conservatives’ legislation to exonerate sub-postmasters in England and Wales to be extended to cover Scotland.

Despite our separate legal system, a legislative consent motion could be passed to allow this particular ‘power grab’. While a UK Government source said the process was “hugely complex” and might not be the best way forward, they added that the two governments would “work closely to ensure compensation can be paid to victims across the whole UK”.

It appears the appalling suffering of those unjustly prosecuted because of faults in the Horizon IT system has overridden the usual energy-draining animosity. Despite our concerns about a law passed by parliament that overturns court decisions – with the dangerous precedent this might set – it should be clear that the normally lengthy process of overturning convictions would be unacceptably slow in this case, given how long innocent people’s lives have been blighted by this scandal. If a small number of guilty people are caught up in a mass exoneration, this may simply be a price that must be paid.

Holyrood and Westminster must, therefore, work together genuinely and avoid any temptation to seek political advantage. It may be by doing so they will learn of the benefits of cooperation. Cynics might suggest that, by delegating responsibility to Westminster, we might see an equally rare example of the Scottish Government actually getting something done.

With Yousaf and co belatedly waking up to the need to follow Westminster’s lead and ban American XL bully dogs, is it too much to hope that the SNP’s default position of always doing something different to the nationalists’ favourite bogeymen, “the Tories”, might be starting to change?

Constantly playing politics with serious issues is no way to run a country in the best interests of its people.