I have just read the comments of David Cairns in today's Scotland on Sunday...
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1678232007
In response to the Scottish Government's bid to obtain observer status to international talks on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, he has said that Alex Salmond:
"seeks to cavort across the world stage with his discredited looney left policies."
Excuse me!?!
Is he suggesting that people who want to rid the world of nuclear weapons - weapons of mass destruction, capable of obliterating millions of lives at a time - are part of some discredited loony left? Does he include members of his own party in that description...?
A majority of Scottish Labour MPs, a majority of MSPs and a majority of Scottish citizens do not want nuclear weapons stored in Scotland. Does David Cairns realise how insulting his comments are to all of these people?
Maybe. Maybe not. He seems much more interested in attacking Alex Salmond for daring to aspire to something better for Scotland, and attempting to represent Scotland's interests in the international arena. The likes of David Cairns actually does his own party a disservice with such vicious and misguided remarks - especially on such an important issue. There are many members of his own party who hold much more progressive views on nuclear weapons.
More importantly, though, he does the people of Scotland a disservice. All Alex Salmond has done is try to ensure our voice is heard in the international community, on an issue that the people of Scotland obviously feel strongly about.
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4 comments:
It's easy to criticise politicians for following opinion polls. The problem with that though is actually the politicians who change their minds because of opinion polls (cf inheritance tax passim). David Cairns seems to have been based in London so much that not only has he politically gone native into the Blairite consensus, he doesn't really believe what hard numbers tell him - that when the clear majority of Scotland is anti-nuclear perhaps he should go softly-softly and not come out with a barrage of direct ridicule. I love the Labour MPs these days. They really are entirely detached from all Scottish public opinion. It's just a shame he's not Des Browne and sitting on a relatively marginal seat.
In your most recent blog you have mistakenly referred to the Scottish Executive as the Scottish Government.
Hi Anonymous. Have you been in hibernation since May, or are you just in denial...?
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Home
I would like to see an end to nuclear weapons, and I am definitely not 'loony left'.
It is Blair's foreign policy that has resulted in Russian aircraft carrying nuclear weapons to re-start flights to test Britain's air defences, or to 'buzz' Britain.
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