RUTH Davidson has finally come out of hiding to release a statement. The other day she tweeted about the absolute state of things because Walker’s Shortbread felt compelled to put out a statement about their wildly popular/unpopular (delete as appropriate) shortbreid tin plasted with a Union fleg and containing fleg-shaped pieces of shortbreid.

The last time that she willingly got in touch with the media was to phone in to a radio show to talk about Great British Bake Off. There’s clearly something about UK-themed baked goods that is dear to Ruth Davidson’s heart. If only she felt as passionately about protecting the powers of the Parliament she was elected to, but when you try to track Ruth down and ask her about how her government in Westminster is traducing the Vow that they made to the people of Scotland in 2014, she’s strangely and uncharacteristically silent.

READ MORE: My day job is the economy – and that will be key to #ScotRef

Obviously the way to make sure that the Conservative government in Westminster doesn’t use Brexit as an excuse for a power grab at the expense of Holyrood is to make sure that it’s centred on bakery products, because then Ruth Davidson will have to make a public statement about it. Maybe Nicola Sturgeon should start talking about the yum-yums of democracy and the coconut buns of respect for the will of the people, and then perhaps Ruth Davidson would pay some attention. But probably not, because really Ruth represents the politics of an old Empire biscuit: stale, flavourless, and well past its sell-by date.

Despite the promises of Ruth’s own party that the powers and permanence of the Scottish Parliament would be enshrined in law, and that no Westminster government would try to alter or reduce the powers of Holyrood without the express consent of the Scottish Parliament, that’s precisely what Ruth’s party is attempting to do. The Conservatives are always demanding that everyone else respect the result of the 2014 referendum, but it seems that they themselves have not got the slightest intention of doing so.

The result of that referendum wasn’t just that Scotland voted against independence. In 2014 Scotland also voted in favour of a strengthened Scottish Parliament which no Westminster government could meddle with without ensuring the consent of MSPs. If Ruth Davidson and the Conservatives refuse to respect the result of the 2014 referendum, they’ve got some nerve demanding that others do. But then self-awareness and respect for others were never noted characteristics of Conservatism.

The Scottish Government has introduced a Continuity Bill which hopes to ensure that the Scottish Parliament can continue to exercise the same powers post-Brexit as it currently does. The British government has announced its intention to take the matter to the Supreme Court. That’s the final betrayal of the tattered Vow, a Westminster government using the courts as a mechanism to reduce the powers of Holyrood after promising that those same courts would protect Holyrood from a Westminster government which sought to reduce its powers without its consent. This is Scotland’s parliament, it is not Westminster’s toy.

Holyrood is a parliament that the people of Scotland campaigned long and hard for, for many decades, and its powers and authority are underpinned by the democratic result of not one but two referendums – the referendum of 1997, as well as the referendum of 2014. It is not for any Westminster government to take it upon itself to reduce or alter the powers of our parliament. If Westminster cannot insist that it’s only the result of the EU referendum which must be respected. They must respect the result of Scotland’s referendums too, and they must respect the fact that Scotland voted against Brexit.

It’s important that the people of Scotland demonstrate to Theresa May that we expect them to respect the result of the 2014 referendum and to respect the promises and commitments that they made to us to secure Scotland’s place within the UK. Because if they do not respect them, then they have only secured Scotland’s place within the UK for the time being.

On Friday, March 23 there is an event in Edinburgh when the ordinary people of Scotland can show Theresa May and the Conservatives that we value our parliament, that we demand that the Westminster government keeps its promises to us, and that we will protect and defend Scottish democracy. The organisers of the event hope that enough people will attend to form a human chain, linking hands around the Holyrood parliament building in a symbolic gesture of protection. Hands Off Our Parliament, or HOOP for short, will take place outside Holyrood from 10am until 5pm. Everyone who values and respects Scottish democracy is welcome to attend, this is not specifically a pro-independence event. It is a pro-devolution event, a pro-Scottish democracy event. Bring your own yum-yums of democracy to Holyrood, and let’s hold hands and show that we value our parliament, and won’t give it up without a struggle.

For more information about the HOOP event visit their Facebook page.