Humza Yousaf forced into humiliating U-turn over ban on XL bully dogs

First Minister promises to ban them amid fears over the numbers being shipped across the Border from England 

Humza Yousaf made a ‘humiliating U-turn’ on XL bully dogs yesterday, promising to ban them amid concerns about the numbers being brought to Scotland.

The First Minister said legislation would be introduced to replicate measures introduced by the UK Government south of the Border.

He said the move was necessary following ‘a flow of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland’ in recent weeks.

But the Scottish Government has been criticised for initially resisting calls to

follow the UK Government’s ban, which resulted in Scotland being seen as a ‘safe haven’ for the dogs.

Humza Yousaf was accused of ‘dawdling’ over a ban on XL bully dogs

Ministers also came under fire for ignoring warnings from the UK Government about the likely cross-Border problems if they failed to act.

The U-turn came just six days after Mr Yousaf said a ban was not ‘required or needed given the strict regime we have in place’.

At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Mr Yousaf said: ‘What has become clear I’m afraid in the last few weeks, is we have seen a flow of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland.

‘As such, we will give further details to members of the Scottish parliament through a parliamentary statement if the parliamentary bureau agrees next week.

‘We will, in essence, replicate the legislation that is in England and Wales here in Scotland because ultimately… we have to respond to the situation as it currently stands and therefore we will do what we need to do to ensure public safety.’

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown is due to give more details of the legislation in a statement to MSPs next week. Ms Brown previously shared a social media message from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which contained a picture of an XL bully dog alongside the text: ‘Dangerous breed? Nope. Breed-specific legislation? Nope.’

Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said it was ‘a humiliating U-turn’ for Mr Yousaf and that the First Minister and his colleagues ‘have wasted months playing political games and causing worry, only to now announce they will, rightly, replicate the UK Government’s ban anyway’.

Mr Greene added: ‘Having picked a needless fight with the UK Government, the SNP appeared blindsided by these dogs being rehomed in Scotland when everyone else knew it would be the inevitable consequence of their actions.

‘SNP ministers’ stubborn refusal to back a sensible UK-wide policy only put lives at risk in Scotland.’

He said Mr Yousaf ‘has serious questions to answer over why this became a constitutional grievance and why he left it so late to take decisive action’.

Mr Yousaf said the ban was necessary following ‘a flow of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland’ in recent weeks

Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill said: ‘The SNP’s dawdling on this issue has wasted valuable time and risked making Scotland a safe haven for dangerous dogs.’

Mr Yousaf denied his government had mishandled the issue, and claimed the UK Government announced its legislation ‘without any consultation with the Scottish Government’.

But it is understood that three separate letters were sent to SNP ministers by the UK Government ahead of its legislation coming into force.

In one of the letters, sent last month by animal welfare minister Robbie Douglas-Miller, he said he supported a ‘co-ordinated approach’ across the UK.

He warned that it would be unlikely to be an offence if an XL bully dog owner travelled to Scotland from England to sell or transfer ownership of one of their animals.

He also said someone could travel to Scotland to abandon their dog without causing an offence.

Scottish Government officials were yesterday unable to say how many XL bullies have been moved to Scotland.

A spokesman for the First Minister said the legislation would ‘mirror what has been done by the UK Government’.