She tells Andrew Gimson that Scottish Conservatives are determined to defend the UK, and may even prosper by doing so.
By Jonathan Isaby The fact that Scotttish and Welsh MPs can still vote on matters pertaining to English health, education etc, whilst the devolved bodies in Edinburgh and Cardiff have exclusive responsibility for those matters in their jurisdictions riles a considerable number of Tory MPs, especially the 2010 intake. And at Scotland Office questions yesterday, […]
By Jonathan Isaby In advance of the 2010 General Election, I was proud to found the successful Save General Election Night campaign to ensure that votes were counted as soon as the polls shut, despite a number of Returning Officers wanting to wait until the following day to conduct the count. My reasons for the […]
David Mundell MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and was one of the speakers at yesterday's Reform seminar in Westminster on the future of the UK constitution. Events like the Reform seminar held in London yesterday help expose Scottish politics to a wider audience. Parts of the national media, including ConservativeHome, are also […]
Today saw the publication of a White Paper from the Government responding to the proposals of the Calman Commission on the future of Scottish devolution. It proposes new tax-raising powers for the Scottish Parliament, for which income tax in Scotland would effectively be cut in Scotland by 10p and the Treasury block grant reduced, leaving […]
It was Scottish questions yesterday. Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell asked about the block grant: "Largely as a result of this Government’s reckless tax and spend approach, the Scottish block grant has, indeed, grown to twice the size of 10 years ago. Despite some implausibly optimistic forecasts in the Budget, it is […]
I have been remiss in not reporting on Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell’s Scottish Banknotes (Acceptability in United Kingdom) Bill, which had its second reading on Friday. Mr Mundell told the House of Commons: "My constituents were instrumental in the Bill’s inception. After my position in the ballot for private Members’ Bills was announced, I […]
Earlier this month, a body set up to consider the reform of Scottish devolution ruled out handing over full financial powers to Scotland. Sir Kenneth Calman’s body indicated that such a move would be inconsistent with the Union. A full report will come out next year. Yesterday the subject was raised in the House of […]
David Maclean MP during the Queen’s Speech debate: "I am disappointed—this has been commented on already, but it is my turn to say so, too—that there is nothing in the Queen’s Speech to deal with the constitutional outrage we face in the House whereby there are two classes of MP. It is not good enough […]
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell responds to the independent report on the May 2007 Scottish elections fiasco: "The Secretary of State’s apparent suggestion that everybody is to blame, and that therefore no one is to blame, simply will not do. It is time for the Scotland Office to take responsibility for failing […]
David is Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland As the only Conservative MP in Scotland (not the only Conservative as I am sometimes introduced!), I would require to be multifunctional whether or not I was Shadow Secretary of State! David Cameron reinstated the role to the Shadow Cabinet to ensure that the Scottish perspective was […]
By David Mundell MP. Politics in Scotland is never dull, and that is particularly true for Scottish Conservative politics. The future of our party will be debated at the party conference starting today in Manchester and, no less vigorously, at leadership hustings throughout Scotland in the coming weeks. The central thrust of this four-candidate contest […]