SNP MP clashes with Tory Alister Jack about overseas meetings
dailyrecord.co.ukA senior SNP MP and the Tory Scotland Secretary Alister Jack clashed over Scottish Government trips abroad during the Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday.Pete Wishart argued with Jack over what the Tory MP called "blatant breaches" of devolved power.Jack said there were several occasions which the Scottish Government had "undermined" the Westminster by talking about reserved matters such as the constitution or foreign affairs in foreign meetings.But Wishart rejected the claims and said Jack's examples were "meagre fare".This comes after Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson accused the UK Government of trying to censor him by curbing meetings between Scottish ministers and overseas governments.Jack listed a few occasions when he believed Scottish ministers had overstepped the mark, including Nicola Sturgeon tweeting after a meeting with a member of the US Government that she had spoken about independence, Ukraine and refugees.He also complained about Robertson telling the French EU minister that "there was no alternative to Scotland joining the EU again".But Wishart said Jack was exaggerating the seriousness of the events.He said: "These six examples, which you described as blatant breaches, it sounded pretty much like meagre fare."A tweet from Nicola Sturgeon, [former business minister] Ivan McKee saying Brexit was a mistake.
Most people in Scotland think Brexit was a mistake."Come on, Secretary of State. Anyone who is asked a question about Brexit from Scotland is pretty likely to say it was a mistake."He added: "[Have] we had this huge fallout because of this?"Jack said his examples were not exhaustive but he could not mention them because the information was sensitive.He said: "It is wrong to do it.
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