SNP branch calls for cross-party Brexit protest

The Shetland branch of the SNP is calling for a cross-party day of action as part of planned national protests to avert a Brexit “crisis”.

Shetland convener Iain Malcolmson has written to other political parties asking them to put their differences to one side in order to protest together on Saturday 23rd March.

He warns that Britain is lurching towards a “disastrous exit” adding that the Westminster government’s policy is “to sacrifice 45 years of prosperity, cooperation and peace to satisfy a small hard-line xenophobic element in the Tory party.”

Mr Malcolmson believes cross-party efforts “are not only desirable but absolutely essential, if a catastrophe is to be averted”.

He writes: “I know there is common ground on this issue between members of all political parties across the political spectrum in Shetland and I feel now is the time for us all to come together to try to avert this crisis. Yes, we have differences, but this is a time to put these aside and speak with one voice.

“A national day of action is proposed on 23rd March and we would hope that a joint demonstration is held in Shetland on that day. If you think the same way, please get in touch with me and we can make sure Shetland has a voice.”

COMMENTS(11)

Add Your Comment
  • Ian Tinkler

    • March 3rd, 2019 19:53

    “to sacrifice 45 years of prosperity, cooperation and peace to satisfy a small hard-line xenophobic element in the Tory party.”!! Well fancy that, I never knew the Tory party had 17.4 million members. I take an arrogant and very stupid person to claim 17.4 million people are all a hard-line xenophobic element. Perhaps the followers of Salmond should look to themselves and decide who are the hard-line xenophobic element. I embrace the entire World and all cultures, not just the protectionist clique of the EU and certainly not the Salmond/Sturgeon acolytes with their discredited misogynistic behaviour and Nationalist xenophobia.

    REPLY
    • Graham Fleming

      • March 4th, 2019 11:41

      So we can look forward to Gaelic being taught in a Shetland school then, if the demand is there (or anywhere else in Scotland),something that should be of no offence to anyone!.

      REPLY
  • Deb Hey-Smith

    • March 4th, 2019 14:50

    The whole Brexit ref was as we know put forward by David Cameron as the EU would not give him our requests. It was a vote leave or not. The vote was not a party political one and should have been supported on all sides. The leave vote should be honoured by all politicians. The EU have shown their true colours controlling and rude. Leave means leave. Tony Blair said we should not go with a ‘no deal’ because people are fearful. What a cop out. Let’s go for a ‘No deal’ we have no need to fear. Remember all that Year 2000 millenium bug fear put around by media. Seems a deja vue

    REPLY
  • Susan Jolly

    • March 4th, 2019 15:10

    I think the SNP ruined prosperity for many businesses with their ridiculous business rates increases in 2017. Many businesses have gone to the wall as a result of this. But then, the SNP wouldn’t want a day of protest against that, now would they?

    REPLY
  • Ian Tinkler

    • March 4th, 2019 15:27

    It would be good to have the funds for that, Graham. It would be good to have the funds and teachers for all or any of the worlds 6500 languages if there was a demand, however, I see a slight problem. Any ideas for that funding Graham Fleming?

    REPLY
  • John Inkster

    • March 4th, 2019 19:48

    I really can not understand the economics of the SNP. They want everyone to march against the UK leaving the EU and then to march time and again, in favour of actually leaving the rest of the UK. Where is the logic in that?
    Apparently Scotland exports £12.70 billion to the EU and a massive £45.00 billion to the rest of the UK. On top of that Scotland has an annual deficit of about £14.00 billion which is bailed out every year by the rest of the UK’s taxpayers.
    So how can it make financial sense to cast aside the rest of the UK and go it alone? The UK buys most of what Scotland produces and subsidises the country to the tune of £14.00 billion every year. A more sensible position would be to hold on to the rest of the UK with both hands, at least for now.

    REPLY
  • David Spence

    • March 4th, 2019 21:22

    Oh the Irony!

    Let us not forget that this is the party that tried to lead us out of the EU in 2014.

    What a staggering display of hypocrisy.

    REPLY
  • John Irvine

    • March 4th, 2019 23:16

    The SNP wants “cross party talks”? don`t make me laugh.

    When have the SNP ever agreed or listened to anyone? here we have the most divisive political party to have ever been in British politics and to what avail?

    Their record since taking office is poor to say the least, broken promises on the most important things in our society, education, the NHS and transport.

    How long will they be allowed to continue the damage before they are voted out?

    REPLY
  • John Tulloch

    • March 5th, 2019 11:05

    LOL. Beneath the hyperbole the self-contradictory nature of SNP policies is writ large.

    The SNP seems equally desperate to both keep Britain in the EU and be granted an independence referendum rerun.

    However, IndyScotland will automatically leave the EU – with “no deal” – on the same day it leaves the UK, creating an immediate “hard border” with rUK/EU.

    Of course, we could rejoin the EU, subject to, possibly, protracted negotiations.

    Alas, that will mean non-negotiable acceptance of the euro, the Common Fisheries Policy and EU budgetary restrictions to manage our reported £9.5 billion p.a. budget deficit i.e. “austerity!”

    Paraphrasing Mr Malcolmson’s own words, we shall “lurch into a disastrous exit….sacrificing 45 years of prosperity, cooperation and peace..”, with a grossly unpalatable set of conditions for rejoining.

    Conversely, if Britain leaves the EU, IndyScotland negotiations could begin immediately an “Indy2” Yes vote is obtained.

    So why, exactly, Ian Malcolmson, is it the SNP wants the UK to stay in the EU?

    REPLY
  • ian tinkler

    • March 5th, 2019 15:47

    I think the SNP are just trying to distract us from certain other difficulties the party is having!! They make the Tories look like a bunch of Nuns by comparison.

    REPLY
  • Peter Hamilton

    • March 6th, 2019 13:18

    Nice idea. Maybe a few Vikings will argue for continuing access to existing markets.

    REPLY

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