MANUEL CORTES called for Transport Secretary Michael Matheson to be sacked from the Cabinet today for his “complete mishandling” of the British Transport Police (BTP) merger with Police Scotland.

The transport union TSSA general secretary’s condemnation emerged amid news that the Scottish government is to back off from its unpopular merger plans between the two forces and consider a wider set of options than were first proposed in 2015.

Files obtained by the Herald on Sunday newspaper suggest that SNP Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf is willing to retreat from the integrated policing plans and may also agree to an informal arrangement between BTP and the Scottish police force.

The file describes three potential options on the table, with two of the three options recommending that officers in Scotland remain under the employment of the BTP, with the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) given oversight.

However, these plans currently being considered were rejected three years ago by Mr Matheson, Mr Yousaf’s predecessor, who is alleged to have forced a takeover of the BTP in Scotland.

The union, which represents BTP staff of all grades, has been a long-standing opponent of the merger.

Mr Cortes said: “The U-turn is the right thing to do. It’s just a crying shame it’s taken them so long to make it. 

“The paper circulated at the Joint Programme Board earlier this week represents a significant change of heart away from the entrenched nationalism surrounding the earlier decision by former justice [secretary] Michael Matheson.”

In praising Mr Yousaf for “having the decency” and “political courage” to review the merger, Mr Cortes also said that BTP staff are “owed an apology.”

He added that the staff also deserve compensation for the “unnecessary amount of stress and anxiety forced upon them” by Mr Matheson’s “idiotic” merger policy.

Mr Cortes continued: “If [the SNP] want us to believe they have integrity when it comes to security and transport policy, then they don’t just need to sink this dangerous and mindless merger proposal. They need to sack Matheson, who has no right to expect trust to be vested in him again.”