A major constitutional clash has erupted after a leaked email revealed a senior UK Conservative minister's plan to deliberately sideline the Scottish Parliament.
The incendiary correspondence, sent by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, explicitly outlined a strategy to "undermine" devolution by bypassing Holyrood and dealing directly with local councils in Scotland. The move has been branded a "democratic outrage" by furious Scottish politicians.
The Leaked Bombshell
In the email, Mr. Jack is accused of plotting to create a "democratic deficit" by diverting crucial funds and decision-making power away from the elected Scottish Government. The strategy proposed funnelling money and influence through local authorities, effectively cutting Holyrood out of the process on key issues.
This direct intervention is seen as a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Westminster and the devolved administrations.
Outrage from Holyrood
Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens and a Scottish Government minister, led the condemnation. He lambasted the Tories for displaying "contempt for Scottish democracy" and showing their true colours as a party that centralises power.
"This is a party which is happy to centralise power, to take it away from local communities, to take it away from democratic control and to undermine the powers of this parliament," Mr Harvie stated during a fiery session at Holyrood.
Broader Pattern of 'Bypassing'
This incident is not isolated. The Scottish Government has repeatedly accused Westminster of using new post-Brexit funding structures, such as the Shared Prosperity Fund and the Levelling Up agenda, to circumvent its authority. These mechanisms allow UK ministers to make funding decisions in Scotland that would traditionally have been made by Scottish ministers.
Critics argue this represents a systematic effort to weaken devolution from within, creating a confusing patchwork of accountability and undermining the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament.
