Scottish Conservative chair condemns Tory peer's attack on devolution

The chairman of the Scottish Conservatives has said he “fundamentally disagrees” with calls by Tory peer Lord Frost to “reverse” devolution, insisting the former Brexit negotiator’s views are “no more important” than any other member of the House of Lords.

The former Cabinet Office minister sparked a backlash last week after calling on the UK Government to be more "assertive" in its attacks on devolution, and questioning why the UK Internal Market Act "has not been used assertively as it should”.

But Craig Hoy has become the latest Scottish Conservative to condemn Lord Frost’s views, and insisted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was “absolutely committed” to devolution and the Scottish Parliament.

The South Scotland MSP said: “I fundamentally disagree with Lord Frost’s assessment. He is a backbench peer, no more than that. He is entitled to his view, but from a Scottish Conservative and unionist point of view, I want to make devolution work, and I want to remove the SNP.

“I think only by doing that can we see how two legitimate governments in Scotland – the UK Government and the Scottish Government – could collaborate to focus on the Scottish national interest, and not as the SNP have done, on the Scottish nationalist interest.”

Asked on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sunday Show if he had spoken to Lord Frost, Mr Hoy replied: “No, I haven’t. Lord Frost is a backbench peer whose views are no more important than any other member of the party in the House of Lords. He doesn’t hold any government office, he doesn’t hold any formal role in the party, so I would see no need to respond to his suggestions.

“All I would say is I fundamentally disagree with them, and I will always stand up for devolution and stand up for making the Scottish Parliament as effective as it can be so that it can deliver for ordinary Scots right across the country.”

Other Scottish Tories to have spoken out against Lord Frost’s remarks include Donald Cameron MSP, who accused Lord Frost of talking “a load of baloney”, adding: “Devolution hasn’t failed and no conservative should want to reverse it.”