Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has accused the SNP of using devolution to further its ambition of independence instead of helping people and communities.
When asked on Times Radio if Prime Minister Boris Johnson was right to say that "devolution was a disaster", Mr Ross said the problem was the SNP using it to promote independence.
"This isn't about devolution," he said.
"But where we have an issue is a nationalist government using devolution to further their ambition of independence.
"I think we should be using devolution to help people and communities in every part of Scotland (rather) than to help an individual political party's aims to separate Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom."
The Prime Minister reportedly said devolution was a “disaster” in a conference call with Tory MPs – and would be on the side of those who voted “decisively” in 2014 to keep the Union intact.
The comments led to Boris Johnson being labelled as the “single biggest threat” to the UK.
Responding to the comments, SNP MSP George Adam said: "Scotland will neither forgive nor forget the decade of devastating Tory austerity that wreaked terrible damage on our poorest and most vulnerable communities.
"You could not mark Douglas Ross's neck with a blowtorch but no one is naive enough to fall for this shoddy attempt to rewrite history. Scotland knows Ross and his callous colleagues voted through these toxic policies and no amount of deflection will change that.
"In contrast, since 2007, every home in Scotland has benefited in some way from SNP government policies. We have transformed education, bolstered our health service, built thousands of affordable homes – we’ve even made Scotland’s tax system more progressive and launched a new social security agency.
"That stark difference between the Scottish Government and the Tories at Westminster is why support for Independence is becoming the settled will of the Scottish people who will have the chance to choose that independent future."
Speaking on whether it was up to Boris Johnson whether or not to sack Home Secretary Priti Patel, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives said it would be good for people to be able to see reports into bullying allegations.
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“That’s a decision for the Prime Minister, he has reviewed the whole report and the Home Secretary has apologised,” Mr Ross said.
“But ultimately it is the choice for the Prime Minister who sits at his Cabinet table.
“I actually think there’s an argument we do see the full detail of these reports.”
Standards chief Sir Alex Allan found that Ms Patel had broken the code governing ministers' behaviour.
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