Scotland is run by 'SNP dictatorship', Conservative deputy chair claims

A TORY deputy chairman has claimed Scotland is run by an “SNP dictatorship” – directly after saying he did not have “time to talk about Scotland”.

James Daly, the Conservative MP who last week complained to police about Angela Rayner’s council house sale in 2015, made the comments as he appeared on Sky News on Wednesday.

Daly was speaking on a panel alongside Labour MP Chris Bryant and SNP MP Alyn Smith.

As the Sky News discussion focused on PMQs, the Tory deputy chair initially refused to give any details of what allegations relating to Rayner he had asked police to probe.

Attention then moved onto SNP Westminster group leader Stephen Flynn’s questions at PMQs, which saw him bring up the issue of Scottish independence.

Rishi Sunak claimed the Scottish Government was “wasting time” on things like independence and the Hate Crime Act, when it should be focused on priorities such as “schools, hospitals, [and] jobs”.

SNP MP Smith told the panel that Sunak had been “grossly misrepresenting the reality”, highlighting how polling showed around 50% of Scots back independence, and quoting Roz Foyer, the general secretary of the STUC, in saying it is “not a settled matter”.

Afterwards, Daly was asked if how the Conservatives may react if the English local elections, to be held on May 2, prove disastrous for the party.

The Tory depute chair responded by defending Sunak’s record, and then looking to attack the SNP.

“We see more people in work, we are seeing more opportunities,” Daly said.

“And, you know, unlike, well, I was going to, I don't think we've got time to talk about Scotland …”

Laughter greeted Daly’s comment, with Smith quipping that it should go in the Tory election manifesto.

Daly then went on: “I think one of the things that we see in Scotland and, compared to politicians like me, is Alyn and other SNP politicians just make the claim that every single person, literally every single person in Scotland, has no concerns about the hate legislation.

“Literally no one. Because that's what the SNP dictatorship, which is there. You are not allowed to disagree with anything that comes centrally out of that.”

Responding on social media, Smith said Daly had dropped “clanger after clanger”.

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He wrote: “Enjoyable on @SkyNewsBreak this afternoon, but clanger after clanger from deputy tory chairman @JamesDalyMP.

“'No time to talk about Scotland', 'SNP dictatorship' [facepalm emoji].

“Giving us all a peek behind closed doors at Tory HQ?”

SNP minister Christina McKelvie added: "'No time to talk about Scotland', that’s Tories for you!,"

The Scottish Government is run by the SNP and Scottish Greens, who formed a cooperation agreement after the SNP fell one seat short of returning a majority in its own right in the 2021 Holyrood election.