THE SNP and Scottish Labour vowed yesterday to continue to fight against the Trade Union Bill after Holyrood’s speaker rejected an attempt to block it in Scotland.

The Scottish government submitted a legislative consent memorandum asking Holyrood to withhold consent from Westminster’s Bill.

The Scottish government argued the Bill would affect devolved functions, such as check-off and facility time and therefore needed its consent before taking effect in Scotland.

But Holyrood’s presiding officer (equivalent of the speaker in the House of Commons) Tricia Marwick sided with the Westminster government and rejected the argument.

She ruled that legislative consent was “not required” under the circumstances and therefore the requirement for Holyrood’s consent via the motion was not triggered, despite cross-party opposition to the Bill.

A Scottish government spokesperson said that the “UK government has made no attempt to consider how the Bill impacts in Scotland” adding it would “be seeking other ways” to oppose the legislation.

Following the failure to block the Bill this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged to “continue to use everything we possibly can to make sure that our democratically elected Parliament gets its say and has its voice heard.”

Ms Sturgeon added that it was “absolutely outrageous that it can be passed in the wake of opposition from the Scottish Parliament.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has written to Ms Marwick calling on her to reverse her decision, arguing that under the Bill “employees of devolved services could be directed to take a course of action contrary to the wishes of Scottish ministers” and therefore should require the consent of Holyrood.

She added that the decision was “particularly disappointing” given that the majority of MSPs in Holyrood believed the Bill was “wrong, unfair and must be opposed.”

Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty welcomed Scottish Labour’s response, saying it was “another example of the growing political resistance to an appalling, ideologically driven piece of legislation.”

Nicola Sturgeon will meet David Cameron on Monday where she will inform him of the Scottish government’s continued opposition the Bill.