Blow to SNP as MSPs vote to remove entire section from nature bill

THE SNP Government has been dealt a major blow after MSPs voted to remove an entire section from its flagship nature bill.

Part 2 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill was stripped from the legislation altogether by a vote of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on Wednesday morning. The five Tory, Labour, Green, and LibDem members outvoted the SNP’s four.

The removed clauses would have handed Scottish ministers broad powers to amend or completely restate Scotland’s habitats regulations and environmental impact assessment (EIA) laws through secondary legislation.

The Greens described them as “unprecedented and sweeping powers to pick apart the nature protections that keep our habitats and species protected from harm”.

Part 2 could be put back into the bill by a majority vot