Nicola Sturgeon should have acted on Scottish drugs deaths years ago

Scotland recorded the highest number of drugs-related deaths on Friday, provoking a political storm, writes John Rentoul

The first minister hasn’t even used the powers she already has (PA )

The tragedy of drugs deaths in Scotland ought not to be a party political subject. It is awful that the rate of deaths is so much higher in Scotland than in any other European country, and shocking that it is so much higher than in the rest of the UK.

But it is Scottish National Party MPs such as Tommy Sheppard who make it a partisan issue. He said on Friday that he was “hopeful that new spending by the Scottish government will save lives in future but major changes in UK law are required to really tackle the problem”.

This is an attempt to absolve the SNP of responsibility for the problem and it should persuade no one. The Scottish government has full devolved responsibility for health policy, and most people agree that hard drugs ought to be treated primarily as a health issue.

Sheppard is referring to the UK-wide prohibition of drugs, an area of law that has not been devolved, so it is not possible for the Scottish government to legalise heroin, for example. But I find it hard to believe that SNP politicians really believe that legalising drugs is the solution to Scotland’s problem, or even a main part of it.

The reasons for Scotland’s remarkable difference in drugs deaths from the rest of the country are complex, but they do not include insufficient devolution. The Scottish government has more powers to tackle the problem than any other part of the UK. Unfortunately, the Scottish government has shown a lack of urgency as the death toll has grown over the past eight years. By four years ago it should have been obvious that the country faced a public health emergency, and yet still too little was done.

It is the supporters of Scottish independence who should be most upset about Nicola Sturgeon’s failure. Instead of trying to blame the UK government, they should be demanding that their own house be put in order. Imagine how much stronger the case for independence would be if the SNP government had acted decisively to turn the tide.

This is not just a matter of drugs policy. Imagine if Sturgeon had succeeded in restoring Scotland’s reputation for a world-class schools system. It would then be possible for Sturgeon to say: Look what we have delivered for the people of Scotland; this is what we could do if we were free of the dead hand of Westminster.

Instead, the imaginary dead hand of Westminster is the only excuse the SNP can offer for its failures.

Yours,

John Rentoul

Chief political commentator