Aileen Campbell, SNP MSP for South of Scotland, has called on Central Ayrshire MP Brian Donohoe to explain his comments on STV’s Politics Now show that the powers of the Scottish Parliament should be “audited” and some policy areas returned to Westminster. She has also written to Cunninghame South MSP Irene Oldfather to ask if she agrees with her London Labour counterpart.

Mr Donohoe told STV that he believed certain powers should be returned to the Westminster Parliament.  He also claimed that very little had been achieved in Scotland in the eight years since devolution.  Aileen Campbell has written to both Brian Donohoe and Irene Oldfather asking them to clarify Labour’s position on Scotland’s constitutional future.

Aileen Campbell MSP said:

“The Labour Party in Ayrshire and across Scotland is clearly in complete disarray about the future of the Scottish Parliament.

“The SNP Government has achieved more for the people of Ayrshire – including freezing Council Tax and saving Ayr A&E – in the past ten months than the Labour Party managed in the past eight years running Scotland. 

“If anything this shows the need for more powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.  I am not sure what Brian Donohoe thinks can be achieved by taking responsibilities away from MSPs. 

“Given that Irene Oldfather voted for the Constitutional Commission to look at further devolution, the Labour Party owes the people of Ayrshire an explanation about what they really believe should be the future for Scotland.”

The Scottish Government has launched a ‘National Conversation’ on Scotland’s constitutional future to look at all options for the Parliament, including the SNP’s preferred route of independence.