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ref date:7 Apr 1998 (WBA)
Labour moves to limit Scottish Parliament

Both the SNP (Scottish Nationalists) and the Tories (Conservatives) - odd bed fellows (!); asked that the devolution minister Henry McLeish reconsider plans to keep 129 Scottish MPs from the parliament in Edinburgh a static number.

The reason is simple.
The provisions in the Scotland Bill , now traversing Westminsters massive bureaucracy, will try to remove 20 Scottish MPs from Westminster as they are meant to be in Edinburgh attending to Scottish matters, their presence in London would mean the Scots were 'over represented'.

Of course, with the Scottish parliament already rigged, bound hand and foot, able to do only what London lets it do, fewer Scots MPs in London will be able to complain.

London will have achieved the impossible: shut the Scots up by giving them a parliament, control that parliament and prevent them from complaining to get it set free by removing all Scots MPs from London in due time.

Marvellous. And the Scots voted for this? As a Scot I'm sickened by it.

Well might the late John Smith and Burns be sharing a dram now groaning.....