Badenoch demands Burnham and Swinney end 'endless' referendums as she raises prospect of Holyrood power grab

Kemi Badenoch used an Edinburgh visit to round on both Andy Burnham and John Swinney over their referendum ambitions, urging the country to stop being consumed by votes on Scottish independence and Brexit re-entry. She branded Swinney a 'broken record' after the First Minister unveiled a fresh independence push at the SNP's Aberdeen conference. Badenoch also signalled she would consider amending the Scotland Act to prevent Holyrood from obstructing reserved UK policy, including new nuclear power stations.

Describing devolution as 'a process and not a religion', Badenoch declined to rule out clawing back powers from Holyrood if the Conservatives return to government.

The party faced hypocrisy charges after pro-independence paper The National was barred from Badenoch's Edinburgh press event, weeks after she had publicly condemned Reform for excluding journalists.

Badenoch told reporters Swinney 'doesn't know how to make people healthier, can't improve education' and is turning a blind eye to record drug deaths in Scotland.