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		</div><p>The Conservative Government is “making the case for independence” with its attempt to block Scottish efforts to prepare laws for Brexit, the SNP has claimed.</p>
<p>This week, the Supreme Court ruled a key section of the Scottish Government’s Continuity Bill, an alternative Brexit Bill, was outside of Holyrood’s legislative power after a challenge by the UK Government.</p>
<p>Following the ruling, the SNP’s depute leader Keith Brown said it exposed the “astonishing lengths” the UK Government have gone to in a bid to undermine devolution.</p>
<p>Mr Brown said: <em>“With every day that passes, the Tories are making the case for independence.</em></p>
<p><em>“The UK Government’s behaviour over the Continuity Bill – exposed this week by the UK Supreme Court – shows the utter contempt with which they are treating Scotland.</em></p>
<p><em>“With the UK Government’s approach to Brexit in complete and utter chaos, it’s no wonder the Scottish Parliament didn’t trust Westminster to prepare our laws for life after Brexit.</em></p>
<p><em>“But the astonishing lengths the Tories have went to tie Holyrood’s hands should shock all democrats.”</em></p>
<p>He added: <em>“Scotland never voted for Brexit but we’re having a one-size-fits-all approach imposed on us by a Tory party who simply can’t be trusted.</em></p>
<p><em>“It is now clearer than ever that Westminster is simply not working for us and that only independence will put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.”</em></p>
<p>Tory constitutional spokesman Adam Tomkins responded said: <em>“This is an astonishing assertion from the SNP and one that is demonstrably false.</em></p>
<p><em>“The Supreme Court ruled, conclusively, that the SNP’s Continuity Bill was largely incompetent.</em></p>
<p><em>“Once again the SNP demonstrates that it cannot accept a verdict it disagrees with and will use any tactic to push for independence.”</em></p>
<p>Most MSPs had voted in favour of the legislation put forward by Scottish ministers as an alternative to the EU Withdrawal Act, which was then challenged by the UK Government.</p>
<p>The Scottish Conservatives opposed the Bill and have now said it should be scrapped.</p>
<p>Speaking after the court’s decision, Mr Tomkins said: <em>“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a clear, unambiguous and of course unanimous judicial vindication for those of us who considered that the SNP’s so-called continuity bill unlawful.”</em></p>
<p>Mr Tomkins claimed the Supreme Court “has eviscerated the Bill, leaving it in tatters”.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What’s left intact of the SNP’s Continuity Bill after today’s Supreme Court ruling? Not much. Some illustrations: <a href="https://t.co/m1S1Lxmah2">pic.twitter.com/m1S1Lxmah2</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Adam Tomkins MSP (@ProfTomkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfTomkins/status/1073206415727173633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But Scotland’s top law officer, Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, told him: <em>“It’s clear that at the time this Parliament passed the bill, it was – in its entirety with the exception of one section – within the competence of this Parliament.”</em></p>
<p>He told MSPs the EU Withdrawal Act – which was passed by Westminster but which the Scottish Parliament did not consent to – had subsequently imposed “new limits on the legislative competence of this Parliament”.</p>
<p>Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russell branded the legal challenge an “act of constitutional vandalism” by the UK Government and said he would speak with other parties about amending the Bill.</p>
<p>He added: <em>“For the first time ever, UK law officers delayed an act of the Scottish Parliament from becoming law by referring it to the Supreme Court.</em></p>
<p><em>“Then the UK Government, for the first time ever, invited the UK Parliament to pass a Bill which they knew would cut the powers of the Scottish Parliament without its consent.”</em></p>
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