UK Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said he would not consult with the Scottish Government before pulling the UK out of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) saying he is pro-devolution.
Mr Jenrick, who has said leaving the ECHR is necessary to control immigration levels, said this was a matter solely for the UK Government and therefore he would not need to ask the Scottish Parliament for legislative consent if the Conservatives were in power in Westminster.
In a recent interview, the former immigration minister said: “It is a reserved matter. It is a national constitutional and legal question. It is an established fact that it is a reserved matter, but absolutely I want to work with people across the UK.”
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Mr Jenrick added: “Concern about illegal immigration is strong in Scotland and that’s why we need to fix this but I don’t want us to lose the rights and liberties of people in Scotland. I want us to enhance them with a British bill of rights and there will be a national conversation in the years to come about how we draft that so that it properly reflects the concerns of people in Scotland as across the country.”
Constitutional experts, however, have said Holyrood should be given a say as it would impact the Scotland Act - the legislation which underpins devolution.
The ECHR was established over 70 years ago and aims to protect human rights and political freedoms across Europe.
The other contender in the UK leadership contest, Kemi Badenoch, has not ruled out leaving the ECHR but has said there needs to be a bigger plan and not just a ‘throwaway promise’ to win an election.
The Scottish Government has previously said it would ‘firmly oppose’ any attempts to leave the convention, adding that is the foundation of the devolution settlement.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government remains committed to protecting human rights in Scotland and Ministers would firmly oppose any attempt to leave the ECHR.”
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