A former SNP strategy chief warns the next Conservative prime minister is set to “trespass on Holyrood’s turf” in a devolution showdown.
Kevin Pringle, from Perth, makes the prediction in his first column for The Courier days after Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak went head to head in the city.
“Rather than winning office in the Scottish Parliament, the Tory mindset seems more focused on circumventing devolved powers and controlling events in Scotland from Westminster,” he writes.
Reflecting on the Tory leadership debate at Perth concert hall, he claims Mr Sunak and Ms Truss gave the impression they would try to ignore Holyrood’s powers.
Conservatives ‘cheering in the aisles’
Mr Pringle says the current Tory government would never hand over responsibilities for welfare and taxation in the way David Cameron did.
But he warns the tougher approach will “flop” with the wider electorate, even if some Tory supporters are “cheering in the aisles”.
The claims were rejected by MSP Donald Cameron, the Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman.
He insisted the party is “wholeheartedly committed” to devolution.
“It’s the SNP that is undermining the devolved settlement by pursuing an unwanted and unconstitutional referendum on breaking up the UK and manufacturing grievances, rather than getting both Scotland’s governments to work together to tackle people’s real needs and concerns,” he responded.
Who is Kevin Pringle?
Mr Pringle, 54, is considered one of the most significant figures over the SNP’s dramatic years in government.
He advised Alex Salmond when he was first minister and helped mastermind the SNP’s independence referendum campaign.
Earlier this summer he told our political podcast, The Stooshie, how Nicola Sturgeon was set to ramp up the campaign for independence.
He grew up in Perth, attending Caledonian Road Primary and Perth High School, and went on to graduate from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in economic history and international relations.
Mr Pringle is now a partner with communications agency Charlotte Street Partners, which is based in Edinburgh.
You can read his for column for us here.
