Following the suicide bombing in Manchester in May the rail union TSSA has demanded that the SNP halt its plan to merge British Transport Police Scotland with Police Scotland.
General Secretary Manuel Cortes said, “If the plan to devolve BTP into Police Scotland is not given a stay of execution before the bill goes before Holyrood, far from protecting policing in Scotland, the SNP will be responsible for snuffing it out.”
In January TSSA said the merger would cause lasting damage to rail security and jeopardise lives, adding that no one in the rail industry wants the merger. BTP Deputy Chief Constable, Adrian Hancock, said it “would create an unnecessary border for officers".
This attempt to reinforce separatism now looks like it is stalling, with the SNP further isolated following its election losses.
• A longer version of this article is on the web at www.cpbml.org.uk.