 | 'The Celts clearly don't like the Tories.' Professor Antony King, 2 nd May 1997. |  |
| 'The Celts clearly don't like the Tories.' Professor Antony King, 2 nd May 1997. | |
His announcement came as Labour became embroiled in a row with Presiding Officer Sir David Steel over the Prime Minister's visit to the Scottish Parliament a week before the election during the Scottish Labour conference.
Mr Hague said he would campaign in Ayr, where the Tories and SNP are seeking to topple Labour's majority of only 25, the smallest in the country. In pledging a personal appearance in support of Tory candidate John Scott, Mr Hague made clear his view that London-based party leaders had every right to campaign in post-Home Rule Scottish domestic politics.
Just before taking his place in the distinguished visitors' gallery during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Hague told reporters the Ayr contest would be an opportunity for Scots to tell the Scottish Executive to get back to work on issues which really mattered to voters.
Suggesting that the row over Section 28 - which bans the promotion in schools of homosexuality as acceptable - would feature in the Ayr campaign, Mr Hague said voters were amazed at Ministers trying to repeal the law "against the wishes of the great majority of the people of Scotland".
He said: "The whole point of devolution was that the people should have their wishes respected. Instead of concentrating on issues they were elected to address, they are increasing hospital waiting times in the NHS and providing fewer policemen." Labour, he claimed, had made Section 28 an issue, despite the fact that it was not top of anyone else's agenda.
The Scottish Parliament should not be blamed for the behaviour of the Executive, he said. Asked if he was presenting himself as the saviour of the Scottish Parliament, Mr Hague replied: "Well, someone has to."
The Tories' review of the role of the Bank of England would be published soon, he said, and would not exclude consideration of special representation from Scotland and perhaps other areas of the UK on its monetary policy committee. He said he understood concerns across Britain about monetary policy being conducted for the benefit of the south of England. "You know what I think of the south of England," he said.
Scottish Secretary John Reid accused Mr Hague of "rank hypocrisy" in visiting the Parliament. "This is a man who throughout his career has consistently opposed devolution. And he is leader of a party that once ignored Scotland for 20 years.
"It is more than a bit rich that he has the gall to make a once-in-a-blue-moon visit north of the Border to criticise the devolution settlement and do down the Scottish Parliament.
"Ironically in that Parliament his list MSPs consistently vote with the SNP and try to out-Nat the Nats. With that record, Mr Hague should take the opportunity today to apologise to the Scottish people - not to hector them about their Parliament and about devolution. William Hague's stance on constitutional matters and the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive is rank with hypocrisy."
* Ayrshireman Kevin James Dillon, an operations manager, has been selected to run as an independent anti-cloning candidate in the by-election, it was announced last night by the Movement Against the Cloning of Humans (Scotland). He said seven people had died recently in the United States after genetic experimentation and that human cloning "threatens the most basic human rights of each and every one of us."
4 th February 2000
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